Autowa. Miners working in the mines of Canada have discovered such a fossil of a dinosaur, which scientists are calling a ‘living mummy’. This discovery is considered to be one of the best preserved dinosaur fossils ever found. In this, not only the skin and armor are completely preserved, but the internal organs like intestines have also been found in a preserved state, which gives a unique glimpse of the anatomy and lifestyle of this 11 crore year old creature. This fossil is kept in the Royal Tyrrell Museum located in Alberta.
Scientists said that this creature belonged to the nodosaur family. These were massive, armored herbivorous dinosaurs that lived on Earth during the Cretaceous period. Its condition is so excellent that experts have recreated its original form, in which even the patterns of the skin and soft tissue are clearly visible. This discovery happened completely suddenly. Workers working at the Suncor Millennium Mine near Fort McMurray, Canada, found this fossil instead of coal or rock when they were drilling.
According to reports, not only is the external skin structure visible in the fossil, but the bones are also in a fully fused state. Remains of internal organs are also evident. While alive, this dinosaur would have weighed around 1,400 kg, while in fossil form its weight is around 1,100 kg, which shows how well preserved it is.
Scientists believe that this dinosaur died on the banks of a reservoir and its body settled at the bottom of the sea. The mineral elements present there quickly covered its body, protecting both its outer shell and internal structure before decomposition could begin. According to Don Henderson, a paleontologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, ‘This fossil still has soft tissue stuck to the bones. This is an almost impossible situation in dinosaur discoveries. Researchers have found completely preserved intestines in its abdominal part, which is the first time seen in any nodosaur so far. This has helped scientists a lot in understanding the digestive system of this species.