When Verum entered the dorm room, she was smiling widely and she had a skip in her step. She gave a big hug to Orak. She took Scorch’s hand and danced with her. She picked up Felix and swirled him around in the air. “Hey!” Felix shouted.
“A dog named Walter found a 74 million years old dinosaur fossil in Colorado, United States. And this fossil helped revive a coal town in the state,” Verum announced.
“How did all this happen? Start from the beginning,” said Orak.
“Okay, okay,” said Verum.
“Walter is a Great Dane. Ten years ago, he was out on a walk with his owners when he found a special rock. It was a strange-looking rock. He woofed and told his owners all about it. When the owners studied the rock, they found dinosaur fossils!” Verum exclaimed.
“Fossils?” Scorch said.
“Fossils are remains of plants and animals that lived a long time ago. Shells and bones are examples of fossils,” Orak explained.
“What happened next?” Felix said eagerly.
“Scientists found an entire dinosaur fossil. It belonged to a dinosaur called a hadrosaur. Hadrosaurs were plant-eating dinosaurs. Scientists also believe that the fossils might belong to a new species. They named it Walter, after the dog who discovered it.
During that year, Colorado’s coal production hit a low. Power plant and coal mines in a town called Craig were scheduled to shut down. Many businesses were already closed. They wanted something to keep the town running.
When palaeontologist Liz Johnson of Colorado Northwestern Community College heard of the dinosaur fossil, she had an excellent idea. What if she used the empty buildings in town to create a dinosaur museum? She hopes to attract many tourists in the future.”
“Palaeontologists are scientists who study dinosaurs,” Orak explained.
“The town of Craig is selling the replicas of Walter’s tooth,” Verum added.
“I want one!” Felix raised his hand.
“Me too!” Scorch said.