Nine years ago a visitor with the last name of Manwell was in the Dinosaur National Monument and discovered a fossilized log a mile or so off the road. It sat in the layer of rock that is called the Morrison formation, which means the log is about 150 million years old. The log became known as the Manwell Log and has helped scientists to know about the trees and vegetation of that time, something that they do not know much about. The log stayed in its location with the exposed parts being subject to the elements, vandalization, and being taken by visitors. After a group of botanists from China and Germany took samples in 2019, it was agreed that such a find should be preserved. It took volunteers two weeks to move the three foot wide 11 foot long log that weighed eight tons and required a specialized cradle. The Manwell log is being cleaned and researched at the Utah Field House of Natural History and visitors can watch the progres through the glass. If any individuals find fossils it is recommended that they take a picture, write down the GPS coordinates and send it to researchers at the Utah Field House of Natural History.
Image from Utah Fieldhouse of Natural History Facebook Page
