A 5,000-pound block of sandstone containing a dinosaur that lived approximately 75 million years ago has arrived at a public research laboratory in Raleigh, North Carolina, where scientists are beginning the painstaking work of uncovering its skeleton.
The fossil could belong to a previously unidentified species, according to reporting by Axios Raleigh, WRAL and CBS17, although researchers have yet to confirm its classification. The specimen was moved into the SECU DinoLab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on October 21, giving visitors an opportunity to watch paleontologists investigate a discovery that could add to scientists’ understanding of dinosaur evolution.
The fossil comes from Utah’s Kaiparowits Formation, a geological formation known for preserving an extensive record of life during the Late Cretaceous period. What makes this specimen particularly significant is the apparent completeness of its skeleton, which could allow researchers to examine features that have remained largely unknown from earlier finds of the same type of dinosaur.A rare opportunity to study a nearly complete skeletonThe dinosaur appears to have resembled an ostrich, with a beak rather than teeth and a body adapted for running.
Researchers estimate that the animal measured approximately eight to 10 feet in length. Earlier discoveries of this type of dinosaur in the same geological formation consisted largely of isolated bones, including fragments of feet, ribs and vertebrae. The newly delivered specimen appears to preserve substantially more of the animal, offering scientists a better opportunity to study its anatomy and compare it with related dinosaurs.The fossil remains encased in sandstone and a protective layer of white plaster, commonly used to stabilise fragile remains during transportation. Extracting the bones will require careful work to remove the surrounding rock without damaging the fossilised material.According to the museum’s research team, weathering had exposed some of the bones at the original site. As more remains became visible, researchers realised that the discovery could represent a much more complete skeleton than initially anticipated.
The fossil’s condition is especially valuable because the arrangement and characteristics of multiple bones can help paleontologists distinguish between known species and previously undocumented ones.Could the discovery reveal a new dinosaur species?Scientists have raised the possibility that the skeleton represents a species not yet formally identified. However, that conclusion will depend on the detailed examination of the fossil, comparisons with existing specimens and the publication of a formal scientific description.If the team establishes that the animal is a new species, this particular specimen could become its holotype. In paleontology, a holotype is the reference specimen used to define a species and establish the physical characteristics against which future discoveries can be compared. The museum’s head of paleontology, Lindsay Zanno, has described the fossil as a particularly promising find because of its preservation and potential to provide new information about dinosaur evolution.A more complete skeleton could help researchers understand the animal’s body structure, how it moved and how it fits into the evolutionary relationships among similar dinosaurs. It may also help clarify differences between species that have previously been difficult to distinguish from fragmentary remains. For now, the possibility of a new species remains a scientific question rather than a confirmed discovery.Why the public can watch the excavationThe fossil’s arrival also highlights the museum’s approach to making scientific research accessible beyond traditional exhibits. Rather than keeping the preparation process entirely behind closed doors, the SECU DinoLab allows visitors to observe researchers working on fossils as discoveries progress.The move itself required considerable logistical planning. The 5,000-pound block was transported inside its protective casing, and a section of West Jones Street was temporarily closed to accommodate the delivery.
Windows were also removed to allow the large specimen to enter the laboratory.The lab is part of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, which operates under the state’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The facility has previously been associated with major dinosaur research, including work on the fossils known as the Dueling Dinosaurs. In 2025, the museum and North Carolina State University announced research identifying Nanotyrannus lancensis as a distinct tyrannosaur species, adding to continuing debates about the diversity of predatory dinosaurs near the end of the Cretaceous.The newly arrived fossil is at an earlier stage of investigation, with its identity still to be determined. Preparing it could take an extended period, as scientists must remove the surrounding rock, document the bones and establish how the remains fit together.If the specimen does represent a previously unknown species, the research could provide a new reference point for studying dinosaur diversity in ancient North America. Even if it belongs to a known species, its unusually complete preservation may offer insights that scattered bones could not provide. For now, the work in Raleigh is only beginning. The answers lie inside the stone, and scientists will need time to uncover them.