Utah Geological Survey (UGS) paleontologists have uncovered three new dromaeosaur (“raptor”) dinosaurs near the base of Utah’s Cretaceous fossil record (130-120 million years ago) in eastern Utah on Bureau of Land Management lands near Arches National Park.

The paper describing these new dinosaurs — New dromaeosaurids (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Utah and the evolution of the dromaeosaurid tail — was published today in PLos One (Public Library of Science) as part of a collaboration between UGS paleontologists and Phil Senter, an expert on dromaeosaurs from Fayetteville University in North Carolina.

Dromaeosauridae is a diverse family of predatory (carnivorous) dinosaurs with a plethora of species that have been discovered within the last two decades and a few that were known previously. The three newly discovered species were found at two nearby dinosaur sites: Doelling’s Bowl Bone Bed and Andrew’s Site.

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Utah geologists have discovered what appear to be three new raptor species of dinosaurs based on fossils recovered near Arches National Park.

A team led by the Utah Geological Survey published a paper describing one of these early Cretaceous fossils, which are between 120 and 130 millions years old, on Tuesday in the online journal PLos One, or the Public Library of Science.

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This Issue contains:

Evaluating the seismic relation between the West Valley fault zone and Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault zone
Another large landslide closes highway near Cedar City, Utah
2011 Landslides in Utah
Energy News: Hydraulic fracturing and shale gas
GeoSights: Comb Ridge, San Juan County, Utah
Glad You Asked: Are those animal tracks in the sidewalk?
Teacher’s Corner
Survey News
New Publications

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The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) received a 2012 National Award in Excellence for Research at the National Earthquake Conference. The award recognizes the significant contributions to earthquake research and risk reduction made by three Utah Earthquake Working Groups convened under the auspices of the UGS in cooperation with the Utah Seismic Safety Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Utah’s Earthquake Working Groups program was initiated in 2003 to bring together a broad spectrum of technical experts from state and federal agencies, universities, and the private sector to prioritize and coordinate earthquake-hazard research in Utah.

The three groups, which meet annually, focus on (1) active faulting, (2) earthquake ground shaking, and (3) liquefaction. The groups have been highly successful in expanding various targeted areas of research (in part by obtaining funding and developing partnerships), which has advanced earthquake-related knowledge in Utah.

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Fourteen scientists are quietly working on a Utah earthquake forecasting project that will provide the most specific estimates ever of when and where major temblors are expected along the Wasatch Front.

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