New dinosaur species discovered in Montana by amateur fossil hunter

A retired nuclear physicist made a big discovery in the badlands of Montana: a previously unknown dinosaur species that lived 76 million years ago.

In 2005, Bill Shipp hired an amateur paleontologist to show him how to hunt for fossils at a ranch he acquired near Winifred, and while digging he discovered what ended up being the leg bone of a dinosaur. Now, details of the find have been published in the online journal PLOS ONE: The scientific name of the species is Spiclypeus shipporum, and paleontologists say it is closely related to the Triceratops — both had horned faces and head frills. Because the bones were found near the Judith River rock formation, the dinosaur has been nicknamed "Judith."

The dinosaur ate plants, weighed up to four tons, and was approximately 15 feet long. "I found it accidentally on purpose," Shipp told The Associated Press. "I was actually looking for dinosaur bones, but with no expectation of actually finding any." Canadian Museum of Nature paleontologist Jordan Mallon told AP that when Judith died, it was at least 10 years old and its bones show signs of infection. "It's an exciting story, because it's a new species, and yet we have this sort of pathetic individual that suffered throughout its lifetime," Mallon said. "If you're hobbling along on three limbs, you're probably not going to be able to keep up."

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