About two years ago, Jessin and Liam Fisher, their father, Sam Fisher, and their cousin, Kaiden Madsen, were on a routine hiking trip in North Dakota.
While on the hike, the family made a significant contribution to science and our understanding of dinosaurs when they discovered a juvenile T. rex skeleton. As soon as the group discovered the fossil, they contacted Dr. Tyler Lyson, associate curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Ironically, Sam went to high school with Lyson, and shortly after, the two were reunited to identify what the family had found.
There have only been a handful of juvenile T. rex skeletons discovered over the years, but now the public will have an opportunity to see the family’s findings at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The fossil will be on display starting June 21 while a documentary about the family’s discovery will also be shown at the museum’s Infinity Theater.
“By going outside and embracing their passions and the thrill of discovery, these boys have made an incredible dinosaur discovery that advances science and deepens our understanding of the natural world. I’m excited for Museum guests to dig into the “Teen Rex Discovery” experience, which I think will inspire the imagination and wonder, not only our community, but around the world,” said Lyson in a statement.
The “Discovering Teen Rex” exhibit will include a wide range of dinosaur fossils, like Triceratops and Edmontosaurus, and a prep lab. In a release, the museum said the exhibit will enhance its educational programs to inspire the next generation of junior explorers and scientists.
To go along with the exhibit, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science will also be displaying the family’s story in a 40-minute documentary called “T. REX.” In theater at the museum’s Infinity Theater on June 21, the film includes state-of-the-art CGI and paleontological insights.
The discovered dinosaur is estimated to have been between 12 and 14 years old and weighed about half as much as some of the most famous T. rex specimens.
T. rex was a meat-eater and grew up to 40 feet long or about the size of a school bus. They featured massive skulls, powerful jaws with sharp teeth, short arms with two fingers, strong legs, and a long tail. The animal lived in western North America during the late Cretaceous Period or around 66-68 million years ago.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is open seven days a week year-round (except Dec. 25) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To purchase tickets, the public can visit https://www.dmns.org/visit/. The public is encouraged to purchase advance tickets to avoid long lines at ticketing.
