Science

Not just boring old bones: 6 incredible dinosaur fossils

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New Atlas rounds up the coolest dinosaur fossils ever found
Courtesy of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller, Canada
The nodosaur is on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta, Canada
The discovery raises the possibility that some dinosaurs had larger brains than we thought
University of Cambridge
An opalized fossil of a toebone from Fostoria
Robert A. Smith, Australian Opal Centre
The amber preserved the feathers and the soft tissue of the dinosaur's tail, allowing the scientists to study the evolution of feathers and pinpoint the species
Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM/ R.C. McKellar)
A seemingly mature skull specimen preserved in Burmese amber reveals a new species, Oculudentavis khaungraae, that could represent the smallest known Mesozoic dinosaur in the fossil record
Xing Lida
Left: Two cartilage cells shown still connected in a way that resembles the final stages of cell division. Center: A cell containing structures that resemble chromosomes. Right: An isolated dinosaur cartilage cell with red staining that indicates the presence of DNA
Science China Press
New Atlas rounds up the coolest dinosaur fossils ever found
Courtesy of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller, Canada
View gallery - 7 images

While huge dinosaur skeletons sure look impressive towering over us in museums, there’s only so much we can learn from dusty old bones. But occasionally more striking specimens turn up bearing skin or feathers, encased in gemstones, and even preserving traces of DNA, against all odds. New Atlas rounds up some of the most incredible fossil finds of recent years.

Feathered tail

The amber preserved the feathers and the soft tissue of the dinosaur's tail, allowing the scientists to study the evolution of feathers and pinpoint the species
Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM/ R.C. McKellar)

Amber is great at preserving insects, although it rarely captures vertebrates. But in 2015, a truly stunning piece of amber turned up in a market in Myanmar, containing a section of a dinosaur’s tail, complete with feathers.

A total of eight vertebrae were found inside the amber, surrounded by fluffy feathers and soft tissues. Judging by CT scans, the bones and the feathers were found to be more “primitive” than those of modern birds or their relatives. Scientists were even able to take samples from the tissue where it meets the surface, and determined that it belonged to a small member of the Coelurosaur family. They also found traces of a compound from red blood cells, which you just can’t get in dusty old bones.

Whole skull in amber

A seemingly mature skull specimen preserved in Burmese amber reveals a new species, Oculudentavis khaungraae, that could represent the smallest known Mesozoic dinosaur in the fossil record
Xing Lida

On the other side of the coin, an entire skull was recently discovered encased in amber. The new species to which it belongs, named Oculudentavis, is not only the smallest dinosaur ever found, but it appears to be a kind of “missing link” to modern birds.

The creature had a beak full of sharp teeth, indicating it probably ate insects. While it looks decidedly bird-like, CT scans reveal it had quite reptilian eyes, meaning it helps patch up gaps in the evolutionary tree.

Bog-pickled brain

The discovery raises the possibility that some dinosaurs had larger brains than we thought
University of Cambridge

Soft tissues just don’t last very long, as animal or microbial scavengers eat it away. But if you keep those things away and the conditions are right, tissues can be preserved for much longer. And that’s exactly what happened to one hapless Iguanodon, who fell into a swamp 133 million years ago.

Thanks to highly-acidic and low-oxygen water, the swamp effectively pickled the dinosaur’s brain. That preserved it long enough for the soft tissue to become mineralized the same way bone does during fossilization. The end result is an exceptionally detailed look at parts of these ancient animals that we don’t normally get to see. Scientists were even able to make out the impressions of tiny features like collagen strands and blood vessels.

“Sleeping” fossil with skin and scales

The nodosaur is on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta, Canada

Normally, the pressure of layers of rock built up over millions of years of squashes fossils flat, so it’s hard to get a sense of how dinosaurs looked as living, three-dimensional creatures. But in 2011, palaeontologists found a fossil that was so exceptionally well-preserved that it looked like it was just taking a nap.

The fossil is a new species of nodosaur, and more than just bones have been preserved. It’s wrapped in its heavy coat of armor, with skin and scales still intact, revealing that it was a reddish-brown color with a lighter belly. Not only that, its stomach contents are still in there, too, giving new insights into its diet.

This stunning nodosaur can be seen at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta, Canada.

Opalized herd

An opalized fossil of a toebone from Fostoria
Robert A. Smith, Australian Opal Centre

Fossils are mostly found imprinted in rock, but in rare cases they can actually turn up encased in opal. When that happens, it’s usually just a small shell here or a tooth there – but last year palaeontologists in Australia discovered an entire herd of opalized dinosaurs.

Opals form when silica-infused water pools in cracks and hollows in rock, eventually hardening into the shape of their container. Sometimes, those hollows are left behind after bones decay away. In this case, these blue-green shimmering gems are shaped like toes, vertebrae, shoulder blades and other bones from a new species in the Iguanodon family.

The haul contained not only 60 bones from one dinosaur – the most complete individual skeleton ever found in opal – but also opalized bones from at least three other animals, which have never been found together before.

Dino DNA

Left: Two cartilage cells shown still connected in a way that resembles the final stages of cell division. Center: A cell containing structures that resemble chromosomes. Right: An isolated dinosaur cartilage cell with red staining that indicates the presence of DNA
Science China Press

Despite what movies may tell us, DNA is far too fragile to ever be discovered from creatures that lived tens of millions of years ago. Or at least, that’s what conventional thinking says. But a recent (and somewhat controversial) study found evidence of dinosaur DNA in fossils.

While studying skull fragments from a young Hypacrosaurus, researchers discovered well-preserved cartilage cells. When they applied staining substances that bind to DNA fragments, a pattern emerged that matched what would be expected for modern cells.

The results are so groundbreaking that the results have been called into question by other scientists. But even if dino DNA is in there, it will be too degraded to do much with besides rethink our entire understanding of what can survive the ravages of time.

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3 comments
Worzel
I liked the article, but I'm stuck to make any other comment.
Grunchy
Old bones aren’t boring, they are Dino-Mite!
ljaques
Some fine paleo porn there, folks. The nodosaurs were evocative.