Dinosaur foot bone found in Dorset

[Garrison Hilliard <garrison@efn.org>]

Dinosaur foot bone found 
A bone believed to have come from a 20-tonne dinosaur has been discovered in a
stone quarry in Dorset. 
The fossil is thought to be a foot bone from a giant four-legged dinosaur,
according to a spokesman for Dorset County Council. 

It was pulled out of rocks known as the Purbeck Beds, in Portland, formed in an
arid lagoon about 130 million years ago and famous for dinosaur footprints. 

Scientists believe this may be the first dinosaur bone found in the rocks in
Portland. 

Mind boggling 

Richard Edmonds, Earth science manager for the Dorset and East Devon World
Heritage Site, said: "At first we thought that it might be the limb bone from a
dinosaur. 

"But to find that it is a smaller part of the foot makes the mind boggle over
the total size of the beast. 

"This creature would be five metres high at the shoulder and weighed about 20
tonnes." 

Scientists say they are baffled as to why bones from the animals that made the
Portland prints are so rare. 

Dr Paul Barrett, of the Natural History Museum in London, added: "It is an
important find, as to my knowledge it is only the second dinosaur bone recovered
from the Lower Purbeck Beds in Dorset." 

Quarry owners, the Crown Estate, have allowed the bone to go on permanent loan
to the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester. 

They will also be taking extra precautions when stripping the next layer of
stone at the quarry, as it is hoped that further bones may emerge. 


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/dorset/3458629.stm

Published: 2004/02/04 12:23:36 GMT

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