Dinosaur fossils from 76 million years ago with intact skin in Canada

CANADA Partial platypus fossil exposed from the cliff, revealing the skin with a grainy texture resembling a basketball.A research team in Alberta, Canada, was amazed to unearth a fossil of a herbivorous platypus dinosaur with an almost complete skeleton, even patches of skin still intact, Live Science reported on September 6.

Finding dinosaur fossils that still preserve soft tissue is extremely rare. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Brian J. Pickles, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Reading, UK. He was surveying Alberta with some students.

The 4-meter-long duckbill dinosaur died about 76 million years ago, where a complex river system flowed during the Cretaceous period (66 – 145 million years ago). This area is now the Alberta Dinosaur Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 400-500 dinosaur skeletons and skulls ever discovered.

Pickles argues that the abundance of sandstone and alluvium that covered the fossil helped preserve it perfectly. Fossils include a large tail and a hind leg exposed from the rock surface.

“I think the specimen was covered pretty quickly, otherwise it wouldn’t have been so well preserved. You can see the vertebrae and tendons. When you get closer, you’ll see some scales. Its skin. dark, scaly, and has a basketball-like texture,” explains Pickles.Adult platypuses are usually at least twice as large as the Alberta specimen. That shows the specimen is still young, which makes it extra special. “It’s very rare to find immature fossils because normally, dinosaurs evolved quite quickly. We usually only find fossils of large ones,” Pickles said.

The researchers believe that an intact dinosaur skeleton will be hidden in the cliff, but can not confirm for sure until the excavation is complete. “To date, we’ve removed about 100 tons of rock to expose the fossil,” Pickles said.

“Finding such a specimen is extremely important, as it tells a lot more about the animal than a fossil just bones. Of course, finding bones is also amazing, but the skin and soft tissues carry more information about the ecology of these creatures. They were not mobile skeletons millions of years ago. They are animals that live and breathe,” he added.

Once excavated, the platypus fossil will become part of the collection at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller, northeast of Calgary, Canada.

Related Posts

Jaпet Jacksoп : « Michael m’a forcé à l’aider à faire semblaпt »...md

Jaпet Jacksoп : « Michael m’a forcé à l’aider à faire semblaпt »…md

This пarrative dives iпto a somber portrayal of Michael Jacksoп’s life, exploriпg strυggles with fame, family, aпd iппer demoпs, told throυgh the perspective

(Video) Jim Carrey reveals why Oprah aпd Diddy were afraid of Michael Jacksoп. - News

(Video) Jim Carrey reveals why Oprah aпd Diddy were afraid of Michael Jacksoп. – News

(Video) Jim Carrey Reveals Why Oprah aпd Diddy Were Afraid of Michael Jacksoп Iп a sυrprisiпg aпd пever-before-heard revelatioп, Jim Carrey revealed iп aп

Will Smith RÉAGIT aυ fait qυe Jadeп Smith soit TRANSGENRE après les FREAKOFF PARTIES de Diddy !?...

Will Smith RÉAGIT aυ fait qυe Jadeп Smith soit TRANSGENRE après les FREAKOFF PARTIES de Diddy !?…

Will Smith Reacts to Rυmors Aboυt Jadeп Smith’s Geпder Ideпtity Amid Diddy Party Specυlatioпs

Le moпde dυ divertissemeпt est eп pleiп chaos alors qυe Joe Rogaп R3VEALS ajoυte 4 пoυveaυx пoms sυr la liste des iпvités célèbres poυr la w!ld p@rty de Diddy...

Le moпde dυ divertissemeпt est eп pleiп chaos alors qυe Joe Rogaп R3VEALS ajoυte 4 пoυveaυx пoms sυr la liste des iпvités célèbres poυr la w!ld p@rty de Diddy…

The latest scaпdal sυrroυпdiпg mυsic mogυl P Diddy has seпt shockwaves throυgh Hollywood, as shockiпg пew revelatioпs emerge aboυt his iпfamoυs “freak off”

Beyoпcé DÉVASTÉE après la fυite d'images choqυaпtes de la fête de Diddy : « Il m'a forcée ! » – La vérité derrière le scaпdale révélée…md

Beyoпcé DÉVASTÉE après la fυite d’images choqυaпtes de la fête de Diddy : « Il m’a forcée ! » – La vérité derrière le scaпdale révélée…md

Iп a shockiпg tυrп of єvєпts, Bєyoпcé, oпє of thє world’s most bєlovєd mυsic icoпs, has bєєп lєft dєvastatєd aftєr coпtrovєrsial imagєs from a rєcєпt party

Pamela Aпdersoп a révélé qυe Diddy avait eυ 6 grossesses lors de la soirée choqυaпte Freak Off...md

Pamela Aпdersoп a révélé qυe Diddy avait eυ 6 grossesses lors de la soirée choqυaпte Freak Off…md

Pamela Aпdersoп, kпowп for her role iп *Baywatch* aпd her activism, has пever shied away from shariпg the complexities of her life iп the spotlight.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *