A woman exploring the Lance Formation in Wyoming was in for a shock when she stumbled across a mysterious bone.

Alison Teal, a conservationist from Hawaii, said that she tripped over the bone completely by accident, and initially thought it was a rock.

But an analysis of the bone has revealed that it is an extremely rare, 65-million-year-old triceratops jaw bone.

Scroll down for video

A woman exploring the Lance Formation in Wyoming was in for a shock when she stumbled across a mysterious bone that turned out to be a triceratops jaw

Ms Teal was exploring the remote area last month, accompanied by Jack Tenney, a YouTube influencer, and Dr Marcus Eriksen, the co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute, a non-profit looking to empower action against plastic pollution.

After tripping over the bone, Ms Teal and her team worked tirelessly to excavate it from the dirt.

Alison Teal, a conservationist from Hawaii, said that she tripped over the rare bone completely by accident, and initially thought it was a rock

It was only later, Ms Teal said, once the bone had been removed, that she and Dr Eriksen were able to determine that the bone once made up the jaw of a triceratops.

The triceratops lived in the late Cretaceous period, from about 68 to 66 million years ago, in what is now North America.

It is known for its three recognisable horns, the two largest being 3.3ft (one metre) long and a shorter one on its nose, with its name translating as ‘three-horned face’ from Greek.

Ms Teal was exploring the remote area last month, accompanied by Jack Tenney, a YouTube influencer (pictured right), and Dr Marcus Eriksen (pictured left), the co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute, a non-profit looking to empower action against plastic pollution

An analysis of the bone has revealed that it is an extremely rare, 65-million-year-old triceratops jaw bone

Triceratops were herbivorous, with low growth being their food of choice owing to their low heard.

The creature was large, reaching up to 29ft (nine metres) in length and 10ft (three metres) in height, and it weighed up to 26,000lbs (12 tonnes).

Ms Teal, a strong conservationist who is passionate about raising awareness of ocean pollution, said that she hopes her discovery will bring about further discussion about how real extinction is.

THE TRICERATOPS: THE THREE-HORNED STAR OF THE DINOSAURS This dinosaur lived in the late Cretaceous period, from about 68 to 66 million years ago, in what is now North America. It is known for its three recognisable horns, the two largest being 3.3ft (one metre) long and a shorter one on its nose, with its name translating as ‘three-horned face’ from Greek. It is thought to have shared its landscape with the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and may have also been preyed upon by the fearsome predator. Triceratops were herbivorous, with low growth being their food of choice owing to their low heard. The exact purpose for its horns is not fully understood, though. The favoured theory is that they may have been used for courting, although combat was also a possibility. The creature was rather large, reaching up to 29ft (nine metres) in length and 10ft (three metres) in height, and it weighed up to 26,000lbs (12 tonnes). It is believed to have been wiped out in the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event 66 million years ago. Advertisement

More specifically, she and Dr Eriksen point towards the Holocene extinction - also know as the sixth extinction - an ongoing extinction event, mainly caused by human activity.

Ms Teal said: 'After hours of excavation, I tripped over what I thought was a rock and it turned out to be a 65-million-year-old triceratops jaw bone.

'Digging up dinosaurs was a shocking reality check that extinction is real, and if we don't make changes in our daily lives, we too can become just another rock layer in history.

After tripping over the bone, Ms Teal and her team worked tirelessly to excavate it from the dirt. It was only later, Ms Teal said, once the bone had been removed, that she and Dr Eriksen were able to determine that the bone once made up the jaw of a triceratops

This dinosaur lived in the late Cretaceous period, from about 68 to 66 million years ago, in what is now North America

'We can't wait until the government passes laws; it's time to act together as homes, communities, villages, cities, across the earth, to change our daily life routines and cultivate a sustainable lifestyle.'

This isn't the first time that triceratops remains have been discovered in Wyoming.

In 2013, p aleontologists discovered a family of triceratops, including one of the most complete skeletons ever found.

Triceratops are known for their three recognisable horns, the two largest being 3.3ft (one metre) long and a shorter one on its nose, with its name translating as ‘three-horned face’ from Greek

The team discovered the triceratops jaw bone while exploring the Lance Formation in western Wyoming

The bones were uncovered on a ranch near Newcastle, Wyoming, by a team from the South Dakota-based Black Hills Institute of Geological Research and the Naturalis Biodiversity Center from the Netherlands.

The team believs the rare find of skeletons belonged either a to a parent group of triceratops or two females and a youngster.

The team also found the left foot and left leg of a T-Rex, which roamed the same area.