NHMU to Return Explorers Club Flag After Completing Excavation of the West’s First Dinosaur Discovery

1859 Army discovery in Utah desert presented significant challenges to paleontologists who completed work 166 years later

NEW YORK, April 15, 2026 — Carrie Levitt-Bussian, the Natural History Museum of Utah’s paleontology collections manager, will return an Explorers Club flag to the acclaimed organization’s New York headquarters on April 19 in celebration of a mission accomplished.  

The Explorers Club flag embodies the courage and fidelity of renowned explorers throughout history who have braved extremes from the depths of the Mariana Trench to the summit of Mount Everest. Founded in 1904, the Explorers Club champions exploration for the advancement of science and research. Individually numbered Explorers Club expedition flags — of which only 222 exist — are awarded on loan to club members advancing non-commercial scientific or field research.  

Over the club’s history, 850 explorers have carried flags on more than 1,450 expeditions to every continent, under the oceans, and into space on the Apollo 8, Apollo 15, and more recently, Artemis II missions. Following the completion of any expedition flying the flag, it must be returned to the club with a detailed report of the expedition’s findings.  

Levitt-Bussian was awarded a flag for NHMU’s efforts to recover the remains of Dystrophaeus viaemalae, the first dinosaur discovery in the American West and the oldest herbivorous, long-necked dinosaur discovered in North America. Perched on a 250-foot cliffside in a remote corner of the Colorado Plateau, the dinosaur’s fossilized skeleton was first discovered by a U.S. Army survey in 1859. However, the remote location and difficult-to-access dig site delayed excavation until 2014. A team of NHMU paleontologists in collaboration with Dr. John Foster of the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum and with permits from the Bureau of Land Management began work that would take more than a decade.  

“Dystrophaeus is approximately 157 million years old. Its age and rarity make it a key specimen for understanding the evolution of Late Jurassic terrestrial ecosystems in North America,” said Levitt-Bussian. “I received the flag from the Explorer's Club in 2017 and proudly carried it every time our team worked on excavating this amazing dinosaur."

To reach the dig site at an undisclosed location south of Moab, the team of NHMU paleontologists and volunteers utilized rock climbing gear and fixed ropes to ascend 250 feet up a cliff face and onto the ledge where Dystrophaeus was discovered. Once there, Levitt-Bussian and the team faced the larger hurdle of transporting heavy equipment, plaster, and water to the site for excavating and protecting the fossilized bones. A long-line helicopter then safely and efficiently transferred the plaster-wrapped bones off the ledge with the Explorers Club flag waving from the cargo net and carried them to trucks used for transport back to NHMU in Salt Lake City.

“The museum is honored that our paleontologists are being recognized by the Explorers Club for the challenging and sometimes dangerous work conducted on this expedition, completing the work that began with an amazing Utah discovery 166 years ago,” said Jason Cryan, NHMU’s Sarah B. George Executive Director. “While the field expedition might be over, the scientific value gained from these fossils will continue with their study here at NHMU.”

Levitt-Bussian will return the flag during the 122nd Explorers Club Annual Dinner in New York on Sunday, April 19, where she will regale attendees with stories of its journey into Utah’s desert. The flag’s next destination is unknown, but the bones of Dystrophaeus will go on to inspire a new generation of scientists and explorers at NHMU.  

About NHMU

The Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) is one of the leading scientific research and cultural institutions in the country. NHMU is Utah’s official state museum of natural history located at the University of Utah, and serves residents statewide through education programs, exhibitions, scientific research, and more. Established in 1963, the museum’s 10 permanent exhibitions are anchored by its state-of-the-art collections and research facilities containing more than 2 million objects. These collections are used in studies on geological, biological, and cultural diversity, and the history of living systems and human cultures within the Utah region. The museum hosts approximately 300,000 general visitors a year and provides one of the most spectacular private event settings in the Salt Lake City area. NHMU also broadens the reach of its mission through a variety of science-based outreach programs to communities and schools throughout Utah, reaching every school district in the state every other year.

About Explorers Club

Headquartered in New York City with a community of Chapters around the world, The Explorers Club has been supporting scientific expeditions of all disciplines and uniting our members in the bonds of good fellowship for over a century. The Explorers Club is a multidisciplinary society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and resource conservation.