rex bone in 1902 near Hell Creek, and Leonardo, a Brachylophosaurus found near Malta, is the world's best-preserved dinosaur, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.įive states-Kentucky, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin-have no dinosaur fossils recorded by the PBDB. Paleontologist Barnum Brown uncovered the first T. The first dinosaur bone discovered in North America was found in Montana in 1854 near Judith Landing. Time period with the most fossils: Maastrichtian (432 fossils) Genus with the most fossils: Hadrosauridae (74 fossils) Read on to see how many dinosaur fossils have been found in your state, or check out the national list here. It is important to note that these records do not comprehensively reflect all dinosaur fossil records in the U.S., but rather represent a sample via the fossils available in public collections.

We pulled all records labeled 'Dinosauria' (the dinosaur clade) and sorted them by state. To determine which states have the most dinosaur fossils, Stacker consulted the Paleobiology Database, a non-profit public resource that brings together fossil records from research institutions around the world. rex skeleton fetched a record-setting $31.8 million in a 2020 auction.

Anyone lucky enough to stumble on some is likely to strike pay dirt: The world's most complete T.

And with each new fossil discovery and dinosaur movie release, our intrigue with these prehistoric predators only grows.Įvery American state has searched its soil for dinosaur fossils, but some states have more old dinosaur bones than others.

1993's blockbuster 'Jurassic Park' drove our 20th-century obsession with dinosaurs into overdrive. The first scientific designation of a group of animals called dinosaurs came about in the 1840s. In the 17th century, an English museum curator discovered a large thigh bone he posited was from a human giant. Humans' fascination with dinosaurs goes back at least 2,000 years to Chinese writings describing what were thought to be massive dragon bones.

Steve the dinosaur world record