Pipestone Creek Bonebed                             


Contains a new species of horned dinosaur - Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai - described by Dr. Philip Currie, Dr. Wann Langston and Darren Tanke in 2008. Located along the Pipestone Creek near the Village of Wembly, about 30 km southwest of the City of Grande Prairie in Northwest Alberta. Only a small portion of the bonebed has been fully excavated. Drilling and core samples intersecting bones indicate that the bonebed is at least as large as a football field.
Discovered in 1973 by Al Lakusta. It is the northernmost dinosaur bonebed known in Alberta.
The Pipestone Creek Bonebed is one of the world's top 5 richest dinosaur bonebeds, dominated by Pachyrhinosaurus, a horned dinosaur. It contains a very high density of bone materials representing numerous fossil species. The presence of different sized individuals of Pachyrhinosaurus may be an indication of gregariousness or herding. (Drawing indicating the density of the bonebed)
Best horned dinosaur locations in the world, dated 73.25 million years old. It was excavated by the Royal Tyrrell Museum in 1986-89. One composite skeleton is now exhibited in the main entry hall of Grande Prairie Regional College.
It is a first co-occurrence of insects in amber and dinosaur bones.
(complete fairy fly in amber from Pipestone Creek)