Scientists managed to reconstruct the appearance of a dinosaur Edmontosaurus annectens thanks to fossils found in a site in the state of Wyoming, United States.
MADRID Oct. 24 (EUROPA PRESS) – An international study in which they participated scientists of the National University of Distance Education (Unit) of Mexico they managed rebuild with an unprecedented level of detail the appearance in life of the dinosaur Edmontosaurus annectens through two specimens that preserved their skin, quills and hooves thanks to a natural process of “mummification” which involved a thin layer of clay.
The research, published in the prestigious magazine Science, was led by paleontologist Paul Sereno, from the University of Chicago and the researchers from the Unit María Ciudad Real and Daniel Vidal. Specifically, it focuses on two fossils why is dinosaur large herbivore that inhabited North America 66 million years ago: these receive support from “Ed Jr.” y “Ed Sr.“.
According to the text, these animals were found in a site in the state of Wyoming (United States). After their death and partial desiccation, a sudden flood covered them with wet sand. The action of microorganisms formed a biological mat that attracted clay particles and sealed the body surface.
This layer functioned as a natural mold, preserving in three dimensions such delicate details as scales, wrinkles and nail caps. “The fascinating thing is that no organic tissue was preserved, but a thin clay ‘mask’ of less than a millimeter that reproduces the skin with microscopic precision,” Vidal explained.
Thanks to techniques such as photogrammetry and computed tomography, Vidal and Real were able to obtain extremely precise 3D models of the fossils without needing to manipulate them directly. In addition, they digitally reconstructed the volume of the hooves and foot pads and compared them with fossil footprints of hadrosaurs from the same period. The coincidence allowed the shape and biomechanics of the hind legs to be recreated with great fidelity.
The investigation details that “Ed Jr.” it is preserved from the skull to the first third of the tail, while from “Ed Sr.” It runs from the back to the tip of the tail. In addition, it reveals the presence of a fleshy ridge along the neck and back, which transforms into a row of keratinous spines on the tail. In turn, identify tiny scales on the body and larger ones on the sides of the tail.
According to UNED scientists, one of the most “striking” discoveries were the hooves on the hind legs, which were shaped like a flat hoof similar to that of a horse. These structures, the oldest known in a terrestrial vertebrate, expand our understanding of the locomotion of herbivorous dinosaurs.
The study sheds light on the appearance of Edmontosaurus annectens and at the same time proposes a detailed model to understand how soft tissues can be preserved in natural conditions. This “recipe” for mummification by clay masks opens new avenues for identifying and studying similar fossils in other sites.
Although this type of fossil has been known since the beginning of the 20th century, this discovery confirms that a significant number of specimens come from the same area, now called the “mummification zone.” The authors anticipate that future excavations in Wyoming and other regions will provide more specimens with exceptional conservation, which will improve biomechanical models and advance knowledge of the paleobiology of dinosaurs.