UTEP researcher discovers dinosaur fossils expanding species range across West Texas
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A discovery deep in the rocky terrain of West Texas is changing what scientists know about dinosaurs that once roamed this region.
Dr. Jason W. Ricketts, a geology professor at UTEP, uncovered fossils that expand the known range of a dinosaur species that lived around 115 million years ago.
“It’s rare to find fossils like this in West Texas,” Ricketts said. “This discovery helps fill in a missing piece of the puzzle about how these animals spread across North America.”
The fossils — found near the Indio Mountains Research Station outside Van Horn — include fragments that match an ancient ornithopod, a plant-eating dinosaur species known for traveling in herds.
The find was made possible with the help of UTEP students and researchers from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and Montana State University, who collaborated on a new study documenting the discovery.
Dr. Liz Walsh, Interim Dean of UTEP’s College of Science, said the find puts UTEP and West Texas on the map for paleontological research.
“This work shows the incredible science happening right here in our backyard,” Walsh said. “It also gives our students real-world experience in the field.”
The fossils are now being studied in UTEP’s Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences labs, where researchers hope to learn more about how dinosaurs adapted to the ancient environments of this region.
The full study, “An Ornithopod Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of West Texas,” was published with the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.
