Plesiosaur
Some say Scotland’s Loch Ness monster is a Plesiosaur – a prehistoric reptile with two sets of flippers and an exceedingly long neck. So why was one found near the Grand Junction Regional Airport in 2013? The answer is the vast and ancient Western Interior Seaway. This body of water divided North America at the end of the age of dinosaurs, and the floor of the Grand Valley was the bottom of the sea in the late Cretaceous. It's not uncommon to find ancient oyster shells, even shark teeth there. But a decade ago, scientists discovered fossilized bones near the Book Cliffs: a dozen neck vertebrae, part of a shoulder, some ribs – all from a 40-ft long Plesiosaur that swam near Grand Junction long ago. It’s a monster from mysterious waters that you might actually see at the Dinosaur Journey Museum in Fruita.
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Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. See more postcards.
