Marmarth Research Foundation

In the Hell Creek formation of North Dakota

Past and Ongoing Excavations

MRF works predominantly in the Hell Creek Formation and has discovered some amazing material including a mummified duckbill dinosaur, an articulated Bugenosaurus, multiple Triceratops skeletons, and arguably the world�s most important turtle site, the Turtle Graveyard, where more than 75 individuals have been found, including three new species.

More recently, MRF has expanded its field work into the Pierre Shale Formation. MRF plans to expand its field program by leasing more land with Hell Creek Formation outcrops and by moving into the Paleocene near Medora, North Dakota.

Big Turtle Cove

2009 — present

Big Turtle Cove

Big Turtle Cove was discovered the last week of the 2009 field season by Stephen Floerscheimer. Much to the surprise to everyone, a seemingly shattered turtle shell, turned into a beautiful turtle shell that was almost 1 meter in diameter! While excavating around the large shell several other bones from this individual were uncovered including part of the bottom shell, neck, and lower jaw. A beautiful Eubaena cephalica skull and lower jaw were found washed up next to the shell.

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Perilous Point

2008 — present

Perilous Point

Perilous Point was discovered by Al Flemming, Debi Fleming, and Stephanie Maze-Hsu while taking a break from excavating at a neighboring site. They spotted some Triceratops lower jaw fragments.

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Baldy View (Skybox)

2008 — present

Baldy View (Skybox)

Discovered by Tyler Lyson in 1997, this site had several Triceratops bones on the surface. To everyone's surprise the site continued to produce beautifully preserved bones, including the majority of an articulated juvenile Triceratops skull.

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Ann's Site

2008 — 2009

Ann's Site

Several years ago, landowner Ann Hoff spotted several duckbill dorsal vertebrae eroding from the hill and began digging. Led by Tyler Lyson and Stephen Begin, Ann and MRF crews continued the excavation and discovered a mostly articulated vertebral column as well as several other postcranial remains.

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Underground Tank

2008

Underground Tank

Underground Tank was discovered by Ann Hoff several years ago. Teams of MRF volunteers uncovered postcranial remains belonging to a juvenile hadrosaur. The bones were protected by a thin layer of sandy ironstone and were beautifully preserved. This specimen is currently being prepared by volunteer Dale Zelinski.

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Turtle Ridge

Hell Creek Formation
2007 — present

Turtle Ridge

The Turtle Ridge locality consists of a mass assemblage of 30, mostly articulated, Stygiochelys skeletons.

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Bonie Butte

2007 — 2008

Bonie Butte

A partially articulated Triceratops found by Tom Tucker in 2007.

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Mosasaur

Pierre Shale Formation
2006

Mosasaur

In 2006 the MRF teamed up with the North Dakota Heritage Center to collect a very complete Mosasaur skeleton from the Pierre Shale Formation (Late Maastrichtian).

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Torosaurus

Hell Creek Formation
2005

Torosaurus

This site was the very first dinosaur found by director Tyler Lyson in 1994. However, because of its very remote location and the excruciatingly hard matrix encasing the specimen, he chose not to collect it. With encouragement from volunteer Steven Cohen, the MRF staff decided to collect this well-preserved partial skull during the 2005 field season.

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Juvenile Triceratops

Hell Creek Formation
2004

Juvenile Triceratops

In 2004, retired professor Norman Gardiner, a MRF annual volunteer since 2003, found remains from a rare juvenile Triceratops. We collected six skulls bones from the site, including the brow horn, squamosal, and dentary. The brow horn is only 30 cm long!!

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Dakota

Hell Creek Formation
2004 — 2006

Dakota

This very special dinosaur is the focus of an one hour National Geographic Documentary and a children's book entitled "Dinomummy".

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Triceratops

Hell Creek Formation
2000 — present

Triceratops

MRF has collected many partial Triceratops skeletons over the past few years. Eventually, MRF plans to put together a composite skeleton for display in the museum. To date most of the vertebral column, ribs, and parts of the skull and hind limbs have been found.

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Turtle Graveyard

Hell Creek Formation
1996 — present

Turtle Graveyard

The Turtle Graveyard is the world's most important fossil turtle site. It is a very rich site where we have uncovered over 75 baenid turtle shells, many baenid skulls and postcranial material, as well as partial skeletons from plastomenid turtles and flat rays. The MRF director, Tyler Lyson, has been collecting this site for 9 years and is currently describing two new taxa found at the site.

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