The Fascinating Dinosaur Discovery That Put Eastern Utah On The Map

If you love dinosaurs, Utah is the place to be. All throughout the state, there are areas where you can view dinosaur bones, observe full dino skeletons, and even search for dinosaur tracks. In fact, Utah is one of the best places for dinosaur discoveries and these incredible finds have put our great state on the map. But one extremely rare dinosaur discovery is making the news and causing quite a stir — the discovery of a newfound “beaked” dinosaur species.

Eastern Utah is the place to be if you love dinosaurs. This area is home to Dinosaur National Monument where you can search for and see nearly 1,500 dinosaur bones. But now, eastern Utah is making even more of a name for itself as it is the place where a new dinosaur species was discovered.

Found in Utah’s Cedar Mountain Formation near Emery County, experts discovered the fossil remains of a beaked dinosaur species known as Iani smithi, named after the two-faced Roman God of transitions.

It is believed the dinosaur was approximately 10 feet long and had tough teeth and powerful jaws. It is a cousin of duck-billed dinosaurs and was an early ornithopod.

The dinosaur remains were discovered after a well-preserved fossil skeleton was found in 2015. The remains found include portions of the spine, limbs, and skull and are believed to be of a juvenile.

It is believed this dinosaur species walked on the earth during the Cretaceous Period, approximately 100 million years ago. This is one of the few fossils that date back to this time.

This is the first early ornithopod from this time period to be discovered in all of North America and gives experts a glimpse into the past — far, far into the past.

Did you know about the discovery of Iani Smithi in eastern Utah? What do you think of this discovery? Let us know in the comments!

And, if you love dinosaurs and want to explore even more dinosaurs in Utah, check out this themed road trip throughout Utah. But, before you go, make sure to check out our ultimate road trip packing list.