What is a Dino Mummy? | National Geographic

a summer day in 1999 high school

a summer day in 1999 high school sophomore Tyler Leeson is out on one of

sophomore Tyler Leeson is out on one of

sophomore Tyler Leeson is out on one of his routine prospecting runs he’s been

his routine prospecting runs he’s been

his routine prospecting runs he’s been hunting fossils on his family land since

hunting fossils on his family land since

hunting fossils on his family land since he was practically a toddler as a

he was practically a toddler as a

he was practically a toddler as a teenager he has already headed 20

teenager he has already headed 20

teenager he has already headed 20 dinosaur excavations but nothing could

dinosaur excavations but nothing could

dinosaur excavations but nothing could prepare him for what he finds protruding

prepare him for what he finds protruding

prepare him for what he finds protruding from the rocky hillside I followed the

from the rocky hillside I followed the

from the rocky hillside I followed the bone fragments up the little gully and I

bone fragments up the little gully and I

bone fragments up the little gully and I saw two spinal bones sticking out of the

saw two spinal bones sticking out of the

saw two spinal bones sticking out of the hill nothing unusual there will preserve

hill nothing unusual there will preserve

hill nothing unusual there will preserve dinosaur bones are scattered all over

dinosaur bones are scattered all over

dinosaur bones are scattered all over Hill Creek these were different I

Hill Creek these were different I

Hill Creek these were different 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

started to appear

started to appear Leeson held in his hands the scaly skin

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 even more intriguing

65 million years even more intriguing

65 million years even more intriguing the skin retained its 3d shape the skin

the skin retained its 3d shape the skin

the skin retained its 3d shape the skin hadn’t collapsed in around the bone at

hadn’t collapsed in around the bone at

hadn’t collapsed in around the bone at that point I knew that we had a 3d

that point I knew that we had a 3d

that point I knew that we had a 3d dinosaur mummy I was absolutely thrilled

dinosaur mummy I was absolutely thrilled

dinosaur mummy I was absolutely thrilled they dubbed the amazing fine Dakota and

they dubbed the amazing fine Dakota and

they dubbed the amazing fine Dakota and the excavation goes into full swing when

the excavation goes into full swing when

the excavation goes into full swing when you first lay eyes upon such a

you first lay eyes upon such a

you first lay eyes upon such a remarkable specimen you’re absolutely

remarkable specimen you’re absolutely

remarkable specimen you’re absolutely gobsmacked how can you not be excited

gobsmacked how can you not be excited

gobsmacked how can you not be excited it’s an incredible find the fossil is a

it’s an incredible find the fossil is a

it’s an incredible find the fossil is a hadrosaur of 40 foot three and a half

hadrosaur of 40 foot three and a half

hadrosaur of 40 foot three and a half herbivore this Dino roamed the lush

herbivore this Dino roamed the lush

herbivore this Dino roamed the lush landscape of the Late Cretaceous though

landscape of the Late Cretaceous though

landscape of the Late Cretaceous though they were one of t-rexes favorite meals

they were one of t-rexes favorite meals

they were one of t-rexes favorite meals they were also one of the most

they were also one of the most

they were also one of the most successful dinosaurs at the time more

successful dinosaurs at the time more

successful dinosaurs at the time more hadrosaur fossils had been found than

hadrosaur fossils had been found than

hadrosaur fossils had been found than any other dinosaur but this one is very

any other dinosaur but this one is very

any other dinosaur but this one is very special if not in life getting dead

special if not in life getting dead

special if not in life getting dead rather than just fossilized bones and

rather than just fossilized bones and

rather than just fossilized bones and teeth its skin tissues and organs

teeth its skin tissues and organs

teeth its skin tissues and organs somehow survived across the eons

somehow survived across the eons

somehow survived across the eons dinosaur fossils are usually isolated

dinosaur fossils are usually isolated

dinosaur fossils are usually isolated bones occasionally we’re very lucky and

bones occasionally we’re very lucky and

bones occasionally we’re very lucky and get a partial skeleton and exceptional

get a partial skeleton and exceptional

get a partial skeleton and exceptional circumstances we get a complete skeleton

circumstances we get a complete skeleton

circumstances we get a complete skeleton articulated that is the absolute 10 out

articulated that is the absolute 10 out

articulated that is the absolute 10 out of 10 for a dinosaur dinosaur mummies

of 10 for a dinosaur dinosaur mummies

of 10 for a dinosaur dinosaur mummies come in off the scale these are so rare

come in off the scale these are so rare

come in off the scale these are so rare so rare and so brimming with scientific

so rare and so brimming with scientific

so rare and so brimming with scientific promise that even a single dinosaur

promise that even a single dinosaur

promise that even a single dinosaur mummy has the potential to change our

mummy has the potential to change our

mummy has the potential to change our understanding of all dinosaurs from

understanding of all dinosaurs from

understanding of all dinosaurs from their skeletons scientists know how big

their skeletons scientists know how big

their skeletons scientists know how big they were

they were

they were but without tissue and flesh to fill

but without tissue and flesh to fill

but without tissue and flesh to fill them out they don’t really know how the

them out they don’t really know how the

them out they don’t really know how the animals looked from the size and shape

animals looked from the size and shape

animals looked from the size and shape of a dinosaur’s leg bones scientists

of a dinosaur’s leg bones scientists

of a dinosaur’s leg bones scientists have estimated how these animals moved

have estimated how these animals moved

have estimated how these animals moved but without muscles they can’t know how

but without muscles they can’t know how

but without muscles they can’t know how fast

fast

fast by comparing the bones of some animals

by comparing the bones of some animals

by comparing the bones of some animals with others we have discovered some 300

with others we have discovered some 300

with others we have discovered some 300 different species of dinosaurs but

different species of dinosaurs but

different species of dinosaurs but without genes and proteins we can’t say

without genes and proteins we can’t say

without genes and proteins we can’t say for sure how they came about or what

for sure how they came about or what

for sure how they came about or what they evolved into a dinosaur mummy with

they evolved into a dinosaur mummy with

they evolved into a dinosaur mummy with its tissues frozen in time will give

its tissues frozen in time will give

its tissues frozen in time will give researchers the chance to investigate

researchers the chance to investigate

researchers the chance to investigate the inner workings of these ancient

the inner workings of these ancient

the inner workings of these ancient animals opening a rare window on how

animals opening a rare window on how

animals opening a rare window on how they lived it it is quite fair to say

they lived it it is quite fair to say

they lived it it is quite fair to say that our dinosaur mummy makes many other

that our dinosaur mummy makes many other

that our dinosaur mummy makes many other dinosaurs look like roadkill simply

dinosaurs look like roadkill simply

dinosaurs look like roadkill simply because the evidence we’re getting from

because the evidence we’re getting from

because the evidence we’re getting from our creature is so complete compared to

our creature is so complete compared to

our creature is so complete compared to the disjointed sort of skeletons that

the disjointed sort of skeletons that

the disjointed sort of skeletons that we’re usually having to draw conclusions

we’re usually having to draw conclusions

we’re usually having to draw conclusions from scientists experiment on Dakota’s

from scientists experiment on Dakota’s

from scientists experiment on Dakota’s home turf in order to establish the

home turf in order to establish the

home turf in order to establish the environment in which it died after

environment in which it died after

environment in which it died after reviewing this data along with the

reviewing this data along with the

reviewing this data along with the sediments that comprised the mummy

sediments that comprised the mummy

sediments that comprised the mummy scientists think that the animal died in

scientists think that the animal died in

scientists think that the animal died in or near a body of water submerged

or near a body of water submerged

or near a body of water submerged quickly enough to escape scavengers in

quickly enough to escape scavengers in

quickly enough to escape scavengers in the nastiest of microbes and was covered

the nastiest of microbes and was covered

the nastiest of microbes and was covered over and compressed by a continuous

over and compressed by a continuous

over and compressed by a continuous supply of sediment it’s probably a very

supply of sediment it’s probably a very

supply of sediment it’s probably a very rare event but by understanding that

rare event but by understanding that

rare event but by understanding that event keying into the position in the

event keying into the position in the

event keying into the position in the environmental conditions which would

environmental conditions which would

environmental conditions which would have created such a creature if we can

have created such a creature if we can

have created such a creature if we can nail that down but this could be a key

nail that down but this could be a key

nail that down but this could be a key to unlocking a box full of dinosaur

to unlocking a box full of dinosaur

to unlocking a box full of dinosaur mummies