Paleontologists in Utah are using crowdfunding to further studies on a Utahraptor fossil that was discovered in 2015.

“The Utahraptor Project” launched in 2016 as an effort to help a team of researchers who were finding trouble obtaining funding for the work and analysis needed to further understanding of the ancient predator.

The rock containing the fossil is massive and requires several hours of proper documentation and preparation along with special tools to excavate. The money that is crowdfunded will go to financing these specific commodities.

At the time of this article’s publishing, the project had accumulated $30,670 of its $100,000 goal. The project remains open and involved paleontologists are eager to see the goal reached.

Other paleontologists who are not directly involved with the project are hopeful to see the fossil excavated.

“We already know there are many bones in this block which fill in the anatomy of Utahraptor, but there are probably plenty more surprises in there,” said Tom Holtz, a University of Maryland paleontologist specializing in predatory dinosaurs, in an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune. “We won’t know until the lab has worked its way through the rock.”

To see how the public can get involved, visit The Utahraptor Project crowdfunding website.