Sometimes serendipity and palaeontology combine, for example, a sharp-eyed field team member spotting a hadrosaur fossil specimen eroding out of a small hill in the Dinosaur Provincial Park (Alberta, Canada). The fossils could represent a rare skeleton of a juvenile and there is evidence that skin impressions have been preserved.

Whilst hadrosaur fossils are relatively common in this part of southern Alberta, the animal’s tail and right hind foot are orientated in the hillside to suggest that the entire skeleton may still be preserved within the rapidly eroding mudstone.

Potentially a Very Significant Fossil Discovery

Whole dinosaur skeletons are extremely rare, this specimen tentatively referred to as a “dinosaur mummy” could provide important new information on juvenile hadrosaurs and the ontogeny of duck-billed dinosaurs.

Spotting a Hadrosaur

The exposed caudal vertebrae (tail bones) show preserved skin impressions as does the exposed right ankle. The size of the bones and the distance between the tail and the astragalus (ankle) suggest that these are the fossilised remains of a young hadrosaur.

Discovering a Duck-billed Dinosaur

During a field school scouting visit in 2021 to look for possible excavation sites, Dr Brian Pickles (University of Reading) was leading a small team examining one location when volunteer crew member Teri Kaskie spotted the fossil skeleton protruding from the hillside.

The first international palaeontology field school is taking place, involving academics and students from the University of Reading and the University of New England in Australia. In collaboration with researchers from the Royal Tyrrell Museum (Drumheller, Alberta), the team are working together to excavate the skeleton and ensure the material that remains in the hill is protected from the elements.

The first part of the conservation work involves coating the fossil site in a thick layer of mud, to help conserve the delicate fossils and to prevent erosion.

An Exciting Fossil Discovery

Commenting on the significance of this hadrosaur fossil find, Dr Pickles stated:

“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. 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.”

Vertebrate palaeontologist from the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Dr Caleb Brown added:

“Hadrosaur fossils are relatively common in this part of the world but another thing that makes this find unique is the fact that large areas of the exposed skeleton are covered in fossilised skin. This suggests that there may be even more preserved skin within the rock, which can give us further insight into what the hadrosaur looked like.”

A Substantial Project

Collecting the entire skeleton is going to take many months and the site will have to be closed down and secured as the weather worsens towards winter. It may take several field seasons to complete this work. Once the specimen has been removed from the field, it will be delivered to the Royal Tyrrell Museum’s Preparation Laboratory, where skilled technicians will work to uncover and conserve the fossilised bones.

At this time, the scientists are unsure as to how complete the specimen is and which genus the fossils represent. Species identification will only be possible if a substantial proportion of the skeleton, including skull material can be recovered.

Which Hadrosaur?

Several different types of hadrosaur are known from the Dinosaur Provincial Park Formation (Campanian faunal stage). Lambeosaurines are represented by Corythosaurus, Parasaurolophus and Lambeosaurus whilst members of the Saurolophinae subfamily represented include Gryposaurus and Prosaurolophus. As more of the skeleton is prepared, the researchers are hopeful that they will be able to confirm the species.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from Reading University in the compilation of this article.

A fossil specimen found in Scotland more than 100 years ago is helping to unravel the ancestry of the Pterosauria. A new study of tiny and difficult to interpret fossils representing a reptile named Scleromochlus taylori has provided palaeontologists with a fresh perspective on the evolution of the pterosaurs.

The research, published in the academic journal “Nature”, was undertaken by scientists led by Dr Davide Foffa, a Research Associate at National Museums Scotland, and now a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. The study, which involved analysis of the fossils using Computed Tomography (CT scans), has enabled the first, accurate skeletal reconstruction of Scleromochlus taylori.

Anatomical Details Reveal Link with the Pterosauromorpha

The CT scans revealed new anatomical details that conclusively identify the Scleromochlus genus as a close pterosaur relative. Phylogenetic assessment places this small, agile reptile within a group known as Pterosauromorpha. The Pterosauromorpha comprises pterosaurs and their close relatives the lagerpetid reptiles.

Identifying the Ancestry of the Pterosauria (Lagerpetonidae)

Geographically widespread in the Late Triassic, the Lagerpetonidae were typically small and fleet-footed reptiles, classified as basal avemetatarsalians, the branch of the Archosauria leading to birds, dinosaurs and the Pterosauria. Previously thought to be close to the evolutionary tree of the Dinosauria, more recent research, including this newly published paper suggests that the lagerpetids were closer to the pterosaurs (members of the Pterosauromorpha).

Most lagerpetids are described as being about the size of cat or small dog, however, Scleromochlus was smaller, with an estimated body length of around 20 cm.

This new study supports the hypothesis that the first flying reptiles (pterosaurs) evolved from small, likely bipedal ancestors. The placement of the lagerpetids within the avemetatarsalians had caused extensive debate. This paper argues that Scleromochlus, represented an evolutionary step in the direction of pterosaurs.

Poorly Preserved Fossils – the Elgin Reptiles

Analysis of the Scleromochlus fossil material using more traditional methods is extremely difficult. The non-destructive CT scans enabled the research team to examine the fossilised bones in exquisite detail and revealed new anatomical details that had not been observed before.

The sandstone block containing the bones come from Morayshire in north-eastern Scotland, near to the town Elgin. Collectively fossils of vertebrates from these deposits are known as the Elgin Reptiles. The fossils are held mostly in the collections of National Museums Scotland, Elgin Museum and the Natural History Museum. The latter holds Scleromochlus, which was originally found at Lossiemouth.

Ancestry of the Pterosauria

Commenting on the significance of the research, Dr Foffa stated:

“It’s exciting to be able to resolve a debate that’s been going on for over a century, but it is far more amazing to be able to see and understand an animal which lived 230 million years ago and its relationship with the first animals ever to have flown. This is another discovery which highlights Scotland’s important place in the global fossil record, and also the importance of museum collections that preserve such specimens, allowing us to use new techniques and technologies to continue to learn from them long after their discovery.”

Professor Paul Barrett at the Natural History Museum added:

“The Elgin reptiles aren’t preserved as the pristine, complete skeletons that we often see in museum displays. They’re mainly represented by natural moulds of their bone in sandstone and – until fairly recently – the only way to study them was to use wax or latex to fill these moulds and make casts of the bones that once occupied them. However, the use of CT scanning has revolutionized the study of these difficult specimens and has enabled us to produce far more detailed, accurate and useful reconstructions of these animals from our deep past.

The First Vertebrates to Evolve Powered Flight

Co-author of the scientific paper, professor Sterling Nesbitt (Virgina Tech) commented:

“Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight and for nearly two centuries, we did not know their closest relatives. Now we can start filling in their evolutionary history with the discovery of tiny close relatives that enhance our knowledge about how they lived and where they came from.”

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Birmingham in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Scleromochlus and the early evolution of the Pterosauromorpha” by Davide Foffa, Emma M. Dunne, Sterling J. Nesbitt, Richard J. Butler, Nicholas C. Fraser, Stephen L. Brusatte, Alexander Farnsworth, Daniel J. Lunt, Paul J. Valdes, Stig Walsh and Paul M. Barrett published in Nature.”