Go west to find dung and eggs

Published on Tuesday 21 October 2008 20:35

THE American West is home to some of the richest repositories of dinosaur fossils in the world.

In some parts of the country – Oklahoma, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas in particular – dinosaur bones can literally be found in people's back gardens.

The continent was home to many species of dinosaur, whose remains were often swept away in later floods. As a result, ancient riverbeds are popular spots for amateur paleontologists to ply their trade.

Among the nation's attractions is The Dinosaur National Monument located on the south-east flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah. The park has fossils of dinosaurs including allosaurus and various long-neck, long-tailed sauropods.

Today, in the US, fossil-collecting can be a lucrative, if time-consuming business.

The least expensive type of dinosaur fossil is coprolite, or fossilised dinosaur dung. It is more decorative than it sounds and usually costs about 10 to 25.

Dinosaur eggs are more popular at 400 to 750. Skulls range from about 12,500 to 50,000, while complete skeletons are the most expensive, from a minimum of 100,000.