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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Scientists at one of Utah's major new dinosaur quarries have found 60 to 70 new bones this spring, including what appears to be a 20-foot-long neck bone discovered this week.
The latest finds are fresh evidence that the site near Hanksville could be a large and important source of bones in the coming years.
"In some places you can't work to remove one bone without finding four or five more," said Scott Williams, collections and exhibits manager at the Burpee Museum of Natural History, the Rockford, Ill.-based institution that's been digging at the site.
The quarry has drawn significant interest among dinosaur hunters. And now members of the public have a chance to see for themselves.
Officials with the museum will begin conducting guided tours at the Wayne County site starting Sunday.
The area, part of the Morrison formation, has long been known to locals and Bureau of Land Management officials. It was made public last year.
The Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry, as it's known, is an intriguing collection of well-preserved dinosaur bones, petrified trees and even freshwater clams.
Scientists hope the mix of dinosaurs, trees and other species in the area may help piece together what life was like 145 million to 150 million ago, including details about the ancient climate.
The site, which is similar in age to the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry near Price, is a logjam of sorts, where dinosaur remains are believed to have been washed into place by an ancient stream. In some places, bones are "stacked up like cordwood," said Jim Kirkland, Utah's state paleontologist.
"It's a pretty remarkable site," Kirkland said.
Researchers are still learning about the site's magnitude and say it's larger than originally thought.
Crews have been working to uncover bones in an area about 200 feet long and 100 feet wide, Williams said. But evidence of exposed bones stretches for about a quarter-mile.
"We're just literally scratching the surface," said Williams, who added work at the site could last a decade.
Last year, onlookers found their way to the remote quarry and watched and asked questions as crews dug up bones and put them in protective covering.
Last September, the site was vandalized and several bones were stolen.
The guided tours are an attempt to allow the public into the site to ask questions and watch as crews dig up bones, Williams said. It's also an attempt to help the Hanksville community by bringing visitors to the area.
The 40-minute tours are free and scheduled to last through June 20.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
