Dinosaur fossils in Colorado
The Paleobiology Database records 484 non-avian dinosaur finds in Colorado, from 44 genera. The oldest is Dryosaurus from the Early Kimmeridgian age, about 154.8 million years old. The youngest is Tyrannosaurus rex from the Lancian age, as young as about 66 million years. Ages are the range the database gives for the rocks, so a find can be tens of millions of years across.
- 484finds
- 44genera
- 154.8oldest, million years ago
- 66youngest, million years ago
It ranks 5th of 36 US states on the map by number of finds, with 9% of the finds in the United States. The most recorded dinosaurs are Allosaurus (39), Camarasaurus (38) and Stegosaurus (24). The rock formation with the most finds is called Morrison, with 315.
Colorado has finds from more than one period. Use the age slider on the map to see how its dinosaurs change from older rocks to younger.
Which dinosaurs were found in Colorado?
The genera with the most finds here:
| Dinosaur | Finds |
|---|---|
| Allosaurus | 39 |
| Camarasaurus | 38 |
| Stegosaurus | 24 |
| Apatosaurus | 17 |
| Diplodocus | 14 |
| Brachiosaurus | 8 |
| Dryosaurus | 7 |
| Tyrannosaurus | 7 |
| Ceratosaurus | 6 |
| Kwanasaurus | 6 |
Rock formations with dinosaur finds in Colorado
| Formation | Finds |
|---|---|
| Morrison | 315 |
| Denver | 52 |
| Laramie | 25 |
| Williams Fork | 17 |
| Chinle | 10 |
| Arapahoe | 6 |
| Mesaverde | 5 |
| Muddy Sandstone | 5 |
| Raton | 5 |
| McDermott | 3 |
Other US states to explore
- Wyoming (1,040)
- Montana (985)
- New Mexico (832)
- Utah (602)
- Texas (448)
- North Dakota (237)
- Arizona (167)
- South Dakota (167)
- New Jersey (70)
- Oklahoma (62)
See the sea floor where marine reptiles swam: oceanfloormap.com →
Before you go fossil hunting. A dot shows where a find was recorded, not where you may dig. Many fossil sites are on private or protected land and collecting rules differ by country. Check the rules before collecting and never dig on protected sites.