An exceptionally well-preserved dinosaur fossil was uncovered in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. The discovery, reported by researchers from the University of Reading and the University of New England and published recently in collaboration with the Royal Tyrrell Museum, features a large portion of a juvenile hadrosaur skeleton, including fossilized skin.
Discovery of a Rare Hadrosaur Fossil
The fossil was first noticed in 2021 during a field scouting visit led by Dr. Brian Pickles from the University of Reading. Volunteer Teri Kaskie spotted part of the skeleton protruding from a hillside at Dinosaur Provincial Park, a renowned site for dinosaur fossils. The exposed remains include the animal’s tail and right hind foot, oriented in a way suggesting the entire skeleton could still lie within the hill.
“We hope to complete the excavation over the next two field seasons. Based on the small size of the tail and foot, this is likely to be a juvenile. Although adult duck-billed dinosaurs are well represented in the fossil record, younger animals are far less common. This means the find could help palaeontologists to understand how hadrosaurs grew and developed,” explained Dr. Brian Pickles.
This rare find, often referred to as a “dinosaur mummy,” offers a unique window into the anatomy and appearance of these ancient creatures.
Fossilized Dinosaur Skin Gives Unprecedented Glimpse Into The Past
One of the most striking aspects of this fossil is the preservation of fossilized skin covering large areas of the skeleton. According to Dr. Caleb Brown, from the Royal Tyrrell Museum, this level of soft tissue preservation is rare and invaluable. The skin can reveal details about the dinosaur’s texture, coloration, and potentially even its environment or behavior.
Preserved skin offers researchers a more complete picture beyond just bones, helping to reconstruct the hadrosaur’s outward appearance and understand its biology better, “ this suggests that there may be even more preserved skin within the rock, which can give us further insight into what the hadrosaur looked like,” said Dr. Brown.
This Dinosaur Fossil’s Secrets Won’t Stay Hidden Long
Once the fossil is fully excavated, it will be transported to the Royal Tyrrell Museum’s Preparation Lab. There, expert technicians will carefully remove the surrounding rock matrix to expose the skeleton fully.
This preparation phase will determine how complete the skeleton is, the extent of skin preservation, and the specific hadrosaur species involved—something that can only be confirmed if a skull is found. Due to the fossil’s size and preservation, preparation for research and display could take several years.
A Rare Peek Inside The Life Of Dinosaurs
This discovery represents one of the rare occasions when paleontologists uncover a nearly complete dinosaur skeleton with fossilized skin, especially of a juvenile specimen.
It underscores the scientific importance of Dinosaur Provincial Park as a key site for paleontological research and highlights the collaborative international efforts driving these discoveries. The fossil will not only enrich scientific knowledge but will also captivate the public, offering a tangible link to life on Earth over 75 million years ago.
