Dinosaur Century

100 years of discovery in New Mexico

The discoveries begin January 21, 2012

 

New Mexico is world famous as a place where important dinosaur discoveries are made. The first New Mexican dinosaurs known to science wre collected in the 1880s. Since then, fossils from our state have helped scientists learn much of what we now know about dinosaurs, including how they evolved, how they lived, and why they went extinct.

For the past century, New Mexico has drawn dinosaur hunters from the nation's largest natural history museums. Today, fossils of New Mexico dinosaurs can be found in the collections and displays of museums in New York, Chicago, and Washington D. C., among others.

When the New Mexico Museum of Natural History opened in 1986, it provided an opportunity for people to see New Mexico dinosaurs right here in Albuquerque. Over the past 25 years, this museum has taken the lead in digging up, studying, and interpreting dinosaurs from this state.

 

Dinosaur Rollout

To celebrate New Mexico's centennial year of statehood, we will add new fossils and new stories to Dinosaur Century every month through the end of 2012. Check back throughout the year as we build this exhibit into a complete look at the amazing history of dinosaur discoveries in New Mexico. Download a PDF of the rollout schedule here.

 

Press Release for the January rollout of Dinosaur Century