This preserved duck-billed dinosaur remains showcase a young Edmontosaurus annectens, referred to as “Ed Jr.”
Two exceptionally uncommon dinosaur “mummies” unearthed in the Wyoming badlands represent the initial instances of ungulate reptiles, according to a recent analysis.
The fossilized remains aren’t authentic mummies, considering that their initial tissues have undergone replacement by stone; however, they furnish scientists with an unmatched insight into duck-billed dinosaur anatomy, verifying their possession of hooves. The scientists disseminated their results on Oct. 23 in the publication Science.
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“This represents the first occasion wherein we possess a comprehensive, embodied depiction of an expansive dinosaur that evokes genuine assurance,” conveyed Paul Sereno, the study’s lead author and a professor specializing in organismal biology and anatomy at the University of Chicago, in a declaration.
Duck-billed dinosaurs employed their hooves for traversing mud at the conclusion of the Cretaceous period (spanning 145 million to 66 million years ago). They coexisted alongside other colossal dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops, immediately before the epoch of dinosaurs dramatically concluded when a substantial asteroid collided with Earth, eradicating them all (excluding avian species).
Dinosaur mummies are remarkably well-preserved fossilizations that feature a clay imprint of dinosaur epidermis alongside additional organic tissues. Multiple examples of these fossilizations were unearthed in Wyoming during the initial years of the 1900s, thereby catalyzing the novel investigation. Sereno accompanied by his collaborators identified the pair of recent specimens through monitoring the coordinates of the erstwhile discoveries, leveraging antiquated imagery and correspondence, and charting what they characterized as a “mummy zone.”
One among the freshly identified Edmontosaurus specimens, distinguished as “Ed Jr.,” constituted a later-stage juvenile, approximated to be approximately 2 years chronologically upon its demise. The additional specimen, designated “Ed Sr.,” was an early-stage adult, aged roughly 5 to 8 years at the time of its passing.
Edmontosaurus annectens as it was in its living form.
The exploration team reproduced the dinosaurs’ biology, locomotion, and conservation employing an assortment of imaging modalities, encompassing X-rays and micro-CT scans, coupled with scrutinizing clay, probing the location where they were discovered, and analyzing fossilized duck-billed dinosaur footprints.
The dinosaurs exhibited a fleshy crest traversing their nape and torso, evolving into a sequence of spikes proximate to the tail terminus. Diminutive, granule-esque scales furthermore stippled the creature’s underbelly and caudal region, the maximal dimension being solely 0.2 inches (4 millimeters) in breadth — scarcely significant, considering the dinosaur could amplify to excess of 40 feet (12 meters) in length, as per the assertion.
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The assembly deduced that the mummification-resembling conservation transpired given that the dinosaurs’ physical forms desiccated in insolation — they plausibly perished amidst a drought — antecedent to being promptly enshrouded within a swift inundation. Electrostatic phenomena, interplaying with microorganisms positioned atop the carcasses’ exterior, thereby extracted clay originating from the humid sediment to establish a slender matrix subsequently encircling the vestiges. The organic constituents subsequently deteriorated gradually and were supplanted with geological matter.
“These duck-billed mummies preserve an abundance of astonishing ‘novelties’ — the earliest terrestrial vertebrate hooves on record, the inaugural validated hooved reptile, and the foremost hooved quadruped demonstrating disparate forelimb and hindlimb positioning,” Sereno declared.
Patrick PesterSocial Links NavigationTrending News Writer
Patrick Pester functions as the trending news author for Live Science. His articles have been showcased on alternate science web platforms, such as BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick transitioned toward journalism following an early vocation spent employed in zoological gardens and wildlife preservation. He was distinguished with the Master’s Excellence Scholarship to matriculate at Cardiff University, wherein he finalized a master’s diploma in international journalism. He holds an additional master’s diploma in biodiversity, evolution, and conservation in action granted by Middlesex University London. When not engaged in composing news narratives, Patrick probes the trading of human relics.
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