NEDERLAND, Colo. – A man hiking with his dog discovered a human skull near Nederland, deputies said Monday.

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call from the hiker around 8:45 a.m. Monday. The man said he had been walking with his dog at the Mud Lake Open Space when he spotted the skull.

Deputies and investigators responded and followed the man to where he found the skull. After confirming that it was indeed human, investigators did some more searching but didn’t turn up any other remains.

Because several inches of snow had recently fallen, investigators plan to continue searching once the snow melts.

Deputies said this morning’s search didn’t turn up any clues as to the age, gender or identity of the partial remains. The Boulder County Coroner’s Office will work to identify the skull and determine the cause and manner of death.

Anyone with information that might help in the investigation should contact Det. Mark Spurgeon at 303-441-3615.