Something historic and epic has come to life in Raleigh, N.C. An experience 67 million years in the making, visitors to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh now have the chance to see what many consider to be one of the greatest dinosaur fossils ever discovered. That fossil—a 31,000-pound behemoth—comprises two complete dinosaur skeletons: a tyrannosaur and a Triceratops, rapidly buried together so many years ago in a potential predator-prey encounter. Still largely entombed inside the rock they were discovered in, the “Dueling Dinosaurs,” as they’re called now, were discovered on a Montana hillside in 2006 and ultimately found a permanent home in Raleigh.
The Museum of Natural Sciences announced the acquisition in 2020, along with the news that the museum would construct the world’s first paleontology lab, including a behind-the-scenes experience where the public can watch scientists uncover long-buried secrets. The fossils are expected to be worked on inside this lab for at least the next five years as scientists carefully work to reveal answers to 67-million-year-old questions.
“This fossil will forever change our view of the world’s two favorite dinosaurs,” according to Dr. Lindsay Zanno, head of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. “The way we have designed the entire experience—inviting the public to follow the scientific discoveries in real-time and participate in the research—will set a new standard for museums.”
