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Student unearths 150-million-year-old dinosaur fossil on first day of Montana dig: 'Very exciting'
By Andrea Margolis
Published November 29, 2025
A 150-million-year-old fossil from the Jurassic era turned up at a Montana dig site this year — unearthed not by a scientist, but by a Connecticut high school student.
Aidan Connor, a senior at Cheshire Academy in New Haven County, found the ancient bone in Red Lodge, Montana, this summer, according to a news release from the academy.
With funding from the Rizzolo-Larson Venture Grant program, the student traveled west with the Elevation Science Institute as part of a dig that involved teenagers across the country.
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On the first day of the excavation, Connor spotted a pinkie-sized finger bone that likely belonged to a small dinosaur during the Jurassic period.
It took the high school senior about an hour to extract the fossil, which is considered relatively quick. The teenager described the experience as "very nerve-wracking."
Aidan Connor's summer dig in Red Lodge, Montana, became memorable after he uncovered a Jurassic-era fossil during an expedition. (Aidan Connor/Cheshire Academy)
"A lot of field work, especially paleontology, is trying your hardest not to break very important things," Connor said, per the release.
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After finding the bone, the student spent the rest of the week "jacketing" other fossils, a process that involves plastering them in order to prevent damage during transport.
"[W]hat we’re most proud of is his polyglot love of learning, and his willingness to combine passion with patience, practice and process."
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Connor said the whole experience was "quite exciting."
"[It was] very fulfilling for my inner child," he added.
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"It was definitely rewarding to finally get it, and many other fossils in the area, prepped for removal."
Marc Arison, dean of academics at Cheshire Academy, told Fox News Digital the school community is extremely proud of the diligent student.
The week-long excavation allowed the Cheshire Academy student to practice careful fossil handling while preparing specimens for safe removal. (Aidan Connor/Cheshire Academy)
"Our pride in Aidan goes beyond the discovery he made," said Arison.
"What we’re most proud of is his polyglot love of learning, and his willingness to combine passion with patience, practice and process."
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"Those are essential elements of learning."
The dean added that Connor is looking at schools offering majors like paleontology and museum studies, and is still considering his options ahead of his graduation next spring.
"[It was] very fulfilling for my inner child," Connor told Fox News Digital. (Aidan Connor/Cheshire Academy)
The Rizzolo-Larson Venture Grant is the school's way of letting students "do cool stuff," allowing them to travel across the globe to pursue their passions.
Students have worked on projects in countries like South Africa and Bangladesh in the past, Arison said.
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"Aidan's work this summer is an excellent example of the ways in which Cheshire Academy helps students unlock not just their potential, but themselves," he added.
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/student-unearths-150-million-year-old-dinosaur-fossil-first-day-montana-dig-exciting