UTEP Dinosaur Discovery Extends Recognized Vary of Ancient Species

Fossil fragments discovered on University-owned land in Hudspeth County, Texas

EL PASO, Texas (Nov. 4, 2025) – A dinosaur fossil discovery by a researcher from The University of Texas at El Paso might increase the recognized vary of a species that roamed the Earth roughly 115 million years in the past.

Jason W. Ricketts, Ph.D., affiliate professor in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences, found fossils – recognized as belonging to the dinosaur Tenontosaurus – whereas conducting unrelated fieldwork at Indio Mountains Research Station, a UTEP-owned pure laboratory close to Van Horn, Texas.

Jason W. Ricketts, Ph.D., affiliate professor in UTEP’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences, found the fossils – recognized as belonging to the dinosaur Tenontosaurus – whereas conducting unrelated fieldwork at Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS), a UTEP-owned pure laboratory that spans greater than 41,000 acres in southeastern Hudspeth County, about 26 miles southwest of Van Horn, Texas.

“I wasn’t out looking for fossils that day,” mentioned Ricketts. “I was studying the rocks in the area when I noticed fragments weathering out of soft shale. There was no need to excavate – I simply picked them up. It was an unexpected and exciting find, and my family even came out with me to help collect the pieces.”

Ricketts particulars the invention in a non-peer reviewed paper titled An Ornithopod Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of West Texas, which was lately revealed by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Spencer G. Lucas, Ph.D., paleontology curator on the museum, and Sebastian G. Dalman, a doctoral pupil at Montana State University, coauthored the examine.

Dinosaur fossil discoveries in West Texas are uncommon, and the discovering of fossilized bones, relatively than simply footprints, is very unusual, Ricketts mentioned. The fossils had been discovered as particular person fragments, with the biggest recognized as a part of a femur leg bone. Although incomplete, the fossils have vital scientific worth, he mentioned. Before this discovery, the closest locations the place comparable fossils had been discovered had been Montana, Idaho, Arizona, and different components of Texas.

“This discovery extends the known range of Tenontosaurus farther southwest than previously documented,” Ricketts defined. “Until now, fossils of this species were known primarily from localities farther north and east, such as Utah and Wyoming. This finding shows that Tenontosaurus lived as far south as West Texas.”

Tenontosaurus was a medium-sized, plant-eating dinosaur that lived in the course of the Early Cretaceous interval. The discovery website provides an necessary piece to the puzzle of how these dinosaurs dispersed throughout North America and tailored to numerous environments, the staff mentioned.

Liz Walsh, Ph.D., interim dean of the UTEP College of Science, praised the invention for instance of how curiosity-driven analysis can result in main insights.

“This find highlights the importance of fieldwork and the role of dedicated researchers like Dr. Ricketts in uncovering new chapters of Earth’s history,” Walsh mentioned. “It’s also a reminder that major discoveries can happen when we least expect them.”

While the fossil fragments are nonetheless being studied, Ricketts hopes the invention will encourage additional exploration in West Texas, a area that is still largely underexplored for dinosaur fossils.

“This discovery shows that there’s still much to learn about our region’s prehistoric past,” he mentioned. “It’s a privilege to contribute even a small piece to that bigger story.”

Last Updated on November 04, 2025 at 12:00 AM | Originally revealed November 04, 2025

By MC Staff
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