NC Governor Josh Stein Hails Major Dinosaur Discovery as Decade's Largest
Democratic Governor Josh Stein announced this week that a team of paleontologists uncovered what officials are calling the largest dinosaur find in North Carolina for the past ten years. The discovery, made in a remote quarry near Raleigh, includes several well‑preserved skeletal elements that suggest a previously unknown species of sauropod once roamed the region.
The excavation, led by researchers from a state university and supported by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, began after a local landowner reported unusual fossil fragments on his property. Over a period of three weeks, scientists carefully removed more than a dozen bone fragments, including a massive femur and partial vertebrae. Preliminary analysis indicates the creature measured roughly 30 meters in length, making it comparable in size to some of the largest known dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic period.
Governor Stein praised the find as a boost to both scientific knowledge and the state's economy, noting that “this remarkable discovery underscores North Carolina’s rich natural heritage and offers new opportunities for education and tourism.” State officials said they will allocate additional funding to support continued research and to develop a permanent exhibit at the state museum, which could attract visitors from across the country.
The find adds to a growing record of significant paleontological sites in the Carolinas, which have yielded notable specimens such as the early Cretaceous theropod *Acrocanthosaurus* and various marine reptiles. Experts point out that the region’s sedimentary rock formations have long been recognized as promising for uncovering ancient life, but large‑scale discoveries of this magnitude are rare.
Looking ahead, the research team plans to conduct further fieldwork in the surrounding area to determine the full extent of the fossil bed. State and academic partners are also exploring partnerships with educational institutions to incorporate the discovery into curricula. If the preliminary estimates hold, the specimen could become a centerpiece for future scientific publications and a landmark attraction for the state's cultural and tourism sectors.
