Illinois State Museum

Missing Pieces - Never Say Never!

willow
Illustration of a Willow Tree, a food eaten by dinoaurs

" Just because we haven't found dinosaur fossils in Illinois doesn't mean they won't ever be found. We have a few deposits in western and southern Illinois that were formed during the time when dinosaurs walked the Earth. We also have fossil leaves from some of the plants they may have eaten. So, we may eventually find a dinosaur fossil."