Scientists claim discovery of rare ‘dinosaur mummy’ – and it’s one of the best preserved ever

Palaeontologists claim to have discovered a rare “dinosaur mummy” in Canada, said to be one of the most well-preserved dinosaur fossils ever found.

The fossil of the hadrosaur, a duck-billed, large-bodied and herbivorous dinosaur, was found protruding from a hillside in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, said researchers, including those from the University of Reading in the UK.

The remains of the dinosaur included a large portion of the animal’s tail and its right hind foot, with the likelihood that its entire skeleton may still be preserved within the hill, researchers said in a statement.

While hadrosaur fossils are relatively common in this part of the world, what makes the find unique is that large parts of the dinosaur’s exposed skeleton are covered in fossilised skin, scientists pointed out.

The “dinosaur mummy” could shed more light on the animal’s appearance and overall anatomy, said scientists, including Brian Pickles from the University of Reading.

“This is a very exciting discovery and 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,” Dr Pickles said.

The dinosaur may have died some time between 77-75 million years ago – 10 million years prior to the extinction of dinosaurs.

“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,” Dr Pickles added.

The new discovery suggests there may be even more preserved skin within the rock that can yield further insights into what hadrosaurs looked like, scientists said.

While collecting the entire skeleton could take several months, once collected, the fossil can be prepared to study in labs to determine the exact species of duck-billed dinosaur.

This would, however, require the discovery of a skull fossil.

“Based on the size and preservation of this specimen, fully preparing it for research and display may take several years,” researchers noted in a statement.