" It was found impossible to devote to the examination of these formation time enough to determine their relations to the Cretaceous and Tertiary strata of this region, without running the risk of being cut off from the party and murdered..." Dr F.V.Hayden ca 1855
Exploration in eastern Montana has certainly evolved! Since the late 1990's the Judith River Dinosaur Institute has specialized in exploration programs in northern and eastern Montana. Any way you measure it, we have been wildly successful! Our teams of volunteers have found some of the best dinosaur specimens in North America. These remarkable discoveries are being made by dedicated amateurs under the guidance of our experienced team leaders to insure that our specimens will benefit the scientific community.
These discoveries are all team efforts. On any given day someone has to be the first to come across that bone trail! As anyone who has prospected for new dinosaur specimens can attest, it is sometimes more luck than skill that decides who will be the first to see that one small bone sticking up from the ground that leads to a complete dinosaur like Roberta. Even those may not make the big discovery play an important role in the excavation and further exploration of an established fossil site
Our success in discovery is always the result of a team effort - from someone who decided the area to prospect, someone who could climb a steeper hill than others, and someone who showed another what to look for. Even the person who sits down for a rest on an outcrop might look down and find a fantastic fossil at their feet. On a Judith River Dinosaur Institute expedition, everyone plays a part in discovery!
This page is dedicated to every member of our exploration programs who have played their part in these discoveries and to the future discoveries we shall make together...
