it’s called the Hell Creek Formation but two paleontologists this part of North
two paleontologists this part of North
two paleontologists this part of North Dakota is pure heaven all those
Dakota is pure heaven all those
Dakota is pure heaven all those dinosaurs that led happy fruitful lives
dinosaurs that led happy fruitful lives
dinosaurs that led happy fruitful lives here on these ancient floodplains
here on these ancient floodplains
here on these ancient floodplains also died here
Leeson has walked just about every inch
Leeson has walked just about every inch of this land it’s been in his family for
of this land it’s been in his family for
of this land it’s been in his family for decades and he’s been hunting fossils on
decades and he’s been hunting fossils on
decades and he’s been hunting fossils on it since he was practically a toddler at
it since he was practically a toddler at
it since he was practically a toddler at 25 he has already headed 60 excavations
25 he has already headed 60 excavations
25 he has already headed 60 excavations but even that couldn’t have prepared him
but even that couldn’t have prepared him
but even that couldn’t have prepared him for what he was about to find protruding
for what he was about to find protruding
for what he was about to find protruding from that rocky hillside
from that rocky hillside
from that rocky hillside I followed the bone fragments of the
I followed the bone fragments of the
I followed the bone fragments of the little gully and I saw two spinal bones
little gully and I saw two spinal bones
little gully and I saw two spinal bones sticking out of the hill Leeson rounded
sticking out of the hill Leeson rounded
sticking out of the hill Leeson rounded up his crew and began excavating the
up his crew and began excavating the
up his crew and began excavating the site removing more and more rocks and
site removing more and more rocks and
site removing more and more rocks and dirt he realized there was a whole lot
dirt he realized there was a whole lot
dirt he realized there was a whole lot more to these fossils than just bones I
more to these fossils than just bones I
more to these fossils than just bones I knocked off a little piece of what I
knocked off a little piece of what I
knocked off a little piece of what I thought was just sandstone and I looked
thought was just sandstone and I looked
thought was just sandstone and I looked at it and it had a weird pattern to it
at it and it had a weird pattern to it
at it and it had a weird pattern to it and so I brought the piece of sandstone
and so I brought the piece of sandstone
and so I brought the piece of sandstone back to the lab and after hours and
back to the lab and after hours and
back to the lab and after hours and hours of slowly brushing it the scale
hours of slowly brushing it the scale
hours of slowly brushing it the scale started to appear
Leeson held in his hands the scaly skin
Leeson held in his hands the scaly skin of an animal that had been extinct for
of an animal that had been extinct for
of an animal that had been extinct for 65 million years the skin hadn’t clapped
65 million years the skin hadn’t clapped
65 million years the skin hadn’t clapped sin around the bone at that point I knew
sin around the bone at that point I knew
sin around the bone at that point I knew that we had a 3d dinosaur mummy I was
that we had a 3d dinosaur mummy I was
that we had a 3d dinosaur mummy I was absolutely thrilled our mummy now dubbed
absolutely thrilled our mummy now dubbed
absolutely thrilled our mummy now dubbed Dakota after its home turf is a fossil
Dakota after its home turf is a fossil
Dakota after its home turf is a fossil like other dinosaurs but unlike
like other dinosaurs but unlike
like other dinosaurs but unlike reconstructed museum skeletons what’s
reconstructed museum skeletons what’s
reconstructed museum skeletons what’s extraordinary is that Dakota seems to
extraordinary is that Dakota seems to
extraordinary is that Dakota seems to have fossilized with most of its skin
have fossilized with most of its skin
have fossilized with most of its skin and organs intact so that is the actual
and organs intact so that is the actual
and organs intact so that is the actual skin envelope here as well yeah they
skin envelope here as well yeah they
skin envelope here as well yeah they come up to and then it’s draped over
come up to and then it’s draped over
come up to and then it’s draped over there it’s more massively deep the tile
there it’s more massively deep the tile
there it’s more massively deep the tile yeah much deeper than any tale of ever
yeah much deeper than any tale of ever
yeah much deeper than any tale of ever this animal had a big ass it’s huge
this animal had a big ass it’s huge
this animal had a big ass it’s huge that’s a surprise so surprising that
that’s a surprise so surprising that
that’s a surprise so surprising that compared to earlier estimates the large
compared to earlier estimates the large
compared to earlier estimates the large skin envelope has ballooned our animals
skin envelope has ballooned our animals
skin envelope has ballooned our animals rear end more than 25% we’ve had 150
rear end more than 25% we’ve had 150
rear end more than 25% we’ve had 150 nearly 200 years of people looking at
nearly 200 years of people looking at
nearly 200 years of people looking at this particular animal saying that’s
this particular animal saying that’s
this particular animal saying that’s what it looks like we’ve been wrong as
what it looks like we’ve been wrong as
what it looks like we’ve been wrong as more and more specks of rock get
more and more specks of rock get
more and more specks of rock get carefully chipped away Dakota gives us a
carefully chipped away Dakota gives us a
carefully chipped away Dakota gives us a more complete picture each tin to its
more complete picture each tin to its
more complete picture each tin to its arms and tail alternating bands of large
arms and tail alternating bands of large
arms and tail alternating bands of large and small scales provide telltale signs
and small scales provide telltale signs
and small scales provide telltale signs of how this animal may have really
of how this animal may have really
of how this animal may have really looked
along the back runs one of the most
along the back runs one of the most exciting finds a continuous frill from
exciting finds a continuous frill from
exciting finds a continuous frill from the pelvis to the tail the first
the pelvis to the tail the first
the pelvis to the tail the first preserved in a hadrosaur mummy 10 feet
preserved in a hadrosaur mummy 10 feet
preserved in a hadrosaur mummy 10 feet of it have been uncovered so far these
of it have been uncovered so far these
of it have been uncovered so far these frills may have helped Dakota recognize
frills may have helped Dakota recognize
frills may have helped Dakota recognize its own kind
its own kind
its own kind one of Dakota’s arms has emerged from
one of Dakota’s arms has emerged from
one of Dakota’s arms has emerged from the tail block as well and it’s a real
the tail block as well and it’s a real
the tail block as well and it’s a real surprise much heftier and more muscular
surprise much heftier and more muscular
surprise much heftier and more muscular than expected the arm may have been very
than expected the arm may have been very
than expected the arm may have been very strong raising the possibility that
strong raising the possibility that
strong raising the possibility that Dakota may have run on 4 feet as well as
Dakota may have run on 4 feet as well as
Dakota may have run on 4 feet as well as on 2
and now the most intriguing hunk of
and now the most intriguing hunk of Dakota the body lies ready to reveal its
Dakota the body lies ready to reveal its
Dakota the body lies ready to reveal its secrets
secrets
secrets the preparator ‘s have meticulously
the preparator ‘s have meticulously
the preparator ‘s have meticulously stripped three feet of rock from the
stripped three feet of rock from the
stripped three feet of rock from the body and are just now hitting skin
body and are just now hitting skin
body and are just now hitting skin somewhere in here tyler is convinced is
somewhere in here tyler is convinced is
somewhere in here tyler is convinced is his real prize a skull with its soft
his real prize a skull with its soft
his real prize a skull with its soft tissue intact we’re almost there I can
tissue intact we’re almost there I can
tissue intact we’re almost there I can see the light at the end of the tunnel
see the light at the end of the tunnel
see the light at the end of the tunnel which is a good thing because it’s been
which is a good thing because it’s been
which is a good thing because it’s been a long tunnel
a long tunnel
a long tunnel this single specimen has brought us
this single specimen has brought us
this single specimen has brought us closer than we’ve ever been to
closer than we’ve ever been to
closer than we’ve ever been to understanding where these animals live
understanding where these animals live
understanding where these animals live how they look how they moved and how
how they look how they moved and how
how they look how they moved and how they survived into the afterlife
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