South Dakota Is Rich With Fossil History

Okay maybe those aren't actual dinosaur claw marks in the petrified wood but it would be a cool thought wouldn't it?

For those who are big history buffs, some may know about the famous T-Rex skeleton named Sue that was found here in South Dakota near the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation; which is the most complete Trex skeleton ever found (Wikipedia).

But did you know that T-Rex skeletons aren't the only dinosaur or fossil remains that South Dakota is known for?

According to ThoughtCo., South Dakota is one of the wealthiest states when it comes to 'fossil records'.

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"Though it doesn't have the number of fossils that those states can claim, (Texas, Utah and Wyoming) South Dakota has diversity on its side. This dinosaur-rich area has produced the Dakotaraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Barosaurus, and many other species, large and small, reptilian and mammalian"- ThoughtCo.

Heck, if you head 'over the river' to the western side of the state there are triceratops remains all over the prairie land. Sadly, a lot of them are quite damaged or not complete enough to form a skeleton good enough for a museum exhibit.

Also, if you didn't already know South Dakota, again, especially on the western part of the state, is known for having tons of this fossil lying around.

Did you know that petrified wood is considered a fossil?

What makes petrified wood a fossil? Well, overtime after a piece of wood was buried, groundwater that was rich in sediment flowed through the wood and surrounding dirt that in turn replaced the original wood with silica, calcite, and pyrite; thus forming the end product we see today.

Sources:Wikipedia, ThoughtCo, and Geology.com