Dinosaur Provincial Park | |
---|---|
Location | County of Newell / Special Area No. 2, near Brooks Alberta |
Coordinates | 50°45′42″N 111°29′06″W / 50.76167°N 111.48500°W |
Area | 73.29 square kilometres (28.30 sq mi) |
Founded | 1955 |
Governing body | Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation |
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument) | |
Provincial Park of Alberta | 1955 |
Type | Natural |
Criteria | vii, viii |
Designated | 1979 (3rd session) |
Reference no. | 71 |
Country | Canada |
Region | Europe and North America |
Dinosaur Provincial Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 220 kilometres (137 mi) east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; or 48 kilometres (30 mi) northeast of Brooks.
The park is situated in the Red Deer River valley, which is noted for its striking badland topography, and abundance of dinosaur fossils. The park is well-known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locales in the world. Fifty-eight dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums around the globe. The renowned fossil assemblage of nearly 500 species of life, from microscopic fern spores to large carnivorous dinosaurs, justified its becoming a World Heritage Site in 1979.