The mysterious 9-ton stone block sealed up to 20 "monsters" for 136 million years

According to Deseret News , 20 years ago, archaeological experts found a strange stone block in Arches National Park in Utah, USA. After testing, they said the rock belonged to the Cedar Mountain Formation. More surprisingly, inside it is "sealing" about 20 different "beasts".

Although this discovery attracted special attention from the scientific community, later research was not conducted due to lack of funding. Professor James Kirkland, a Utah state paleontologist, told the AP : "Everyone thinks someone is paying for this research. But in the end, no one is paying for it."

In 2013, scientists and volunteers covered the 9-ton rock with a protective layer of plaster and burlap, then transported it to the Wasatch Front for study. More than a decade on, the block is now stored in a state garage in Salt Lake City. "It simply has loads of 'beast' bones inside," said Scott Madsen, a fossil restoration expert who has spent years drilling, carving and cleaning the rock's surface. excellent bone fusion."

Recent detailed studies have shown it to be extremely valuable. Inside the rock are fossil bones of many dinosaurs. Professor Kirkland is almost certain that it was a herd of reptiles of the species named after the place where they were discovered - Utahraptor.

Utahraptor was a ferocious Cretaceous predator, similar in size to the dinosaurs featured in Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park." Geologists have concluded that the bone-filled rock was originally a fossilized quicksand that dates back about 136 million years.

The team of experts believes that a certain herbivorous dinosaur got stuck in the quicksand, attracting a herd of Utahraptors to eat it.

"What happens is, they also get bogged down and can't get out. Eventually, they die, get buried and disappear into the mud," Madsen explains. Over time, quicksand hardens into sandstone, keeping the dinosaur skeletons inside intact.

"We found the femur, tibia, and a lower jaw of the Utahraptor. There were also four tiny skeletons of baby dinosaurs of an unknown species, about the size of a chicken ," said Scott Madsen. know.

Professor Kirkland's dream is to fully reconstruct Utahraptor skeletons of all ages and sizes, and display them at the Utah Museum of Natural History and possibly at Utahraptor State Park in the future. He believes that "this rock will provide new and useful scientific knowledge for generations to come."

However, the Utah Geological Survey's budget is not enough to pay for fossil restoration work. To date, the majority of funding has come from dinosaur and paleontology enthusiasts outside the state of Utah. Students in Utah and elsewhere also contributed significant amounts of money.

Recently, a retired couple in Pennsylvania, who had previously donated $50,000, continued to request an additional $50,000 and called on other benefactors to join hands. If the necessary amount of money cannot be raised, the 136-million-year-old secret of the giant rock may never be revealed.According to Deseret News , 20 years ago, archaeological experts found a strange stone block in Arches National Park in Utah, USA. After testing, they said the rock belonged to the Cedar Mountain Formation. More surprisingly, inside it is "sealing" about 20 different "beasts".

Although this discovery attracted special attention from the scientific community, later research was not conducted due to lack of funding. Professor James Kirkland, a Utah state paleontologist, told the AP : "Everyone thinks someone is paying for this research. But in the end, no one is paying for it."

Recently, a retired couple in Pennsylvania, who had previously donated $50,000, continued to request an additional $50,000 and called on other benefactors to join hands. If the necessary amount of money cannot be raised, the 136-million-year-old secret of the giant rock may never be revealed.