Where Are the Dinosaur Bones in RDR2

Red Dead Redemption 2 offers players a massive world filled with unique secrets, including a lengthy quest to locate prehistoric fossils scattered across the map. Tracking down every single one of these hidden treasures requires patience, exploration, and a keen eye for unusual rock formations. Finding these locations is essential for players aiming to achieve total completion in Rockstar Games' open-world masterpiece.

How to Begin the Paleontology Quest

Before you start searching every cliffside, you must officially trigger the companion stranger mission titled A Test of Faith. Players can encounter the amateur paleontologist Deborah MacGuiness just southeast of the Horseshoe Overlook camp. Speaking with her adds the collectible hunting assignment to your log, allowing you to mail coordinates from any post office.

Tracking down these ancient remains is far easier if you utilize the game's built-in eagle eye mechanic regularly while exploring. The ability highlights environmental anomalies, making it simpler to see weathered fragments resting against massive rock walls. You can find them in any order, though some areas remain restricted until much later in the story campaign.

Scouting the Heartlands and Cumberland Forest

A significant number of fossils are hidden throughout New Hanover, particularly around rugged canyons and abandoned structures. One famous specimen rests directly at the bottom of an oil well located beneath the main derrick in the Heartlands field. Another fossil can be uncovered easily by exploring the elevated rocky terrain near Six Point Overlook.

Moving further north toward Cumberland Forest reveals additional items tucked away along steep ridges overlooking the river. You can spot a massive bone fragment embedded high up on the mountain walls southwest of Bacchus Station. Navigating these steep cliffs requires careful footwork to avoid accidental slips or fatal falls down the mountainside.

Searching Lemoyne and West Elizabeth Cliffs

The southern territories contain hidden prehistoric treasures hidden within dry riverbeds and deep valleys. In the Scarlett Meadows region, explorers can discover a fossilized ribcage partially buried near the western bank of Dewberry Creek. Another easily overlooked piece lies exposed on a grassy slope just south of the parallel roadways near Cumberland Falls.

Venturing westward toward the snowy peaks of Mount Shann provides even more opportunities for dedicated virtual collectors. A well-preserved dinosaur spine sits resting on the rocky terrain along the winding paths of Big Valley. Players should also investigate the small cave systems hidden deep inside the lower sections of Mount Hagen.

Uncovering Secrets in the New Austin Desert

The remaining collectible fragments are located across the harsh desert landscapes that open up during the epilogue chapters. Cholla Springs holds a couple of unique locations, including a bone hidden inside a small rock wall near Rattlesnake Hollow. Another piece sits nestled on a small hill southwest of Jorge's Gap, partially obscured by desert bushes.

Further west in Rio Bravo, players can climb the massive rocky plateaus overlooking Fort Mercer to claim another discovery. The final stretches of Gaptooth Ridge contain fossils resting on high canyon ledges that provide great views of Tumbleweed. Finding all thirty coordinates unlocks a special invitation to meet Deborah again and claim the rare Jawbone Knife.