Canadian fishermen 'snag' duck-billed dinosaur

Severe flooding in southwestern Alberta in 2013 may be responsible for two fishermen discovering the 80-million-year-old fossil of a new dinosaur species.

A block containing a partial dinosaur skull, neck and chest has been safely extracted
 from the Castle River in Alberta after fishermen reported their find to staff at the Royal
 Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Severe flooding in southwestern Alberta in 2013 may
 be responsible for two fishermen discovering the 80-million-year-old fossil of a new
 dinosaur species [Credit: The Canadian Press/Government of Alberta]

A 1,300-kilogram boulder they found in the Castle River, southwest of Lethbridge, contains a partial skull, neck and chest of a duck-billed dinosaur.

Officials at the Royal Tyrrell Museum believe flood water dislodged the big rock and sent it rolling down the river where the fishermen spotted it.

It had to be airlifted out by helicopter.

Although hadrosaurs were plentiful in southern Alberta, the latest find is in an entirely new area, and the location is to be scouted further next year.

Scientists hope to confirm if the find is a new species in the next several months.

Source: The Canadian Press [November 12, 2014]