The national news has been covering the story of Harrison Duran, a college student who uncovered a 65 million year old Triceratops skull in western North Dakota.
Clint Boyd – a paleontologist for the state of North Dakota – joins Amy and JJ to discuss what makes North Dakota such a great place to hunt for dinosaur remains, who owns the find and great opportunities for amateurs to hunt for history.
First off, the laws are clear for those who discover a dinosaur bone (be it a full skull or just part of a femur). If the land is private, the bones belong to the person who owns the land. If you find the bones on public land (state owned) the people of North Dakota claim ownership and the bones are used for educational purposes throughout the state. If you find the remains on federal land the law is the same as public land in ND, but on a national level. Bones may be donated to museums or universities for further study.
Private ownership of dinosaur bones is a tricky matter as they can be verified as authentic, but can not be used for scientific study since their care cannot be account for at all times.
Clint also explains that during the era of the dinosaurs run off from the forming Rocky Mountains created a great collection of streams and rivers leading to a massive body of water to the East. The area between the mountains and the sea became the perfect spot for dinosaurs to live. That’s why we see so many great findings in our region.
If YOU are interested in seeking a piece of buried history, the ND Geological Survey group lead digs around the state that is open for pros, hobbyists and those who are holding a sifting pan for the first time ever!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DIG INFO
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
KFGO Podcast –
Ancient Dinosaurs in North Dakota!
KFGO Podcast –
State Park Lets You Dig (and Take Home) Diamonds
KFGO Podcast –
“Historic Staycation” Ideas!
KFGO Podcast –
People Should Start Saving for Retirement…IN HIGH SCHOOL!
(Amy Iler & JJ Gordon are talk-show hosts at 790 AM KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. “It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ” can be heard weekdays 11am-2pm. Check out the show page on
FACEBOOK.
Follow Amy on Twitter
@AmyKFGO
. Follow JJ on Twitter
@JJGodon701
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