Experts Say

The Pipestone Creek Bonebed - A Significant Scientific Find

The Pipestone Creek fossil site in Northwest Alberta is a bonebed dominated by thousands of disarticulated bones of the ceratopsian dinosaur Pachyrhinosaurus. In Canada, Pachyrhinosaurus is restricted to the late Cretaceous beds of Alberta. Specimens have been found in Southern Alberta, but a unique cranial feature evident in skulls collected from the Pipestone site indicate that this may be a new species.

The density of this bonebed is also exceptional, and surpasses many of Alberta’s other ceratopsian bonebed sites, with over 100 bones per square metre in some areas. The number of leg bones suggests that there were at least 40 individuals present, but complete excavation could show that hundreds of individuals died at the site. The thickness of the bed ranges from 30 cm to 1 meter and promises years of research potential.

The Pipestone bonebed alone has great palaeontological significance for several reasons:

• Its sheer size, density and excavation potential.
• Indications are that this Pachyrhinosaurus might be a new species.
• The number and varying sizes of the individual animals found indicate herding behaviour.
• Theropod (carnivorous) dinosaur remains have also been preserved at the site, possibly indicating that the Pachyrhinosaurus carcasses were scavenged prior to burial and subsequent fossilization.
• It is the first co-occurrence of insects in amber and dinosaur bones.

In addition, there is significant potential for recovering further palaeontological resources from the region, as shown by the presence of other dinosaur finds, such as the Red Willow River hadrosaur skeleton.

For years, Alberta has been known internationally as one of the most significant sources of dinosaur specimens and data. I believe the time has come for Alberta to commit to developing this scientific treasure to the level of its international stature. With Pipestone as the northern anchor and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and Dinosaur Provincial Park as the southern anchors, the proposed provincial Dinosaur Trail can link Alberta's extensive palaeontological resources to create a draw for students, scientists, and dinosaur enthusiasts from around the world.

- Dr. Philip Currie, University of Alberta - 

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