Mummified dinosaur

[bascule]

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060621/NEWS01/606210311/1002

 

Insane!

[AzurePhoenix]

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060621/NEWS01/606210311/1002

 

Insane!

 

Indeed awesome. And I'm I right in understanding that they said that the soft-tissue is actually the remains of tissue itself? Unmineralized? Not like that heterodontosaur "mummy" a while back where the original tissue was fossilized to stone but left intact enough to identify organs and a four-chambered heart?

[herpguy]

Awesome! I can't wait to see the documentary on Discovery!

[ecoli]

that is so cool. What I find particularly impressive is the diversity of corporate support this thing is getting. Reminds me of the old days when research was funded purely by corporations.

[ydoaPs]

hmmmm....any DNA left?

[herpguy]

hmmmm....any DNA left?

I doubt it. DNA usually degrades very quickly after death.

[ydoaPs]

/me loses all hope of Jurasic Park

[herpguy]

/me loses all hope of Jurasic Park

That's how I fealt when Mokele told me what I just told you.

 

Jurassic Park is virtually impossible with the technology we have now, and the technology we will have for many years to come.

[Dr. Dalek]

I call DNA patent rights!

[bascule]

Jurassic Park is virtually impossible with the technology we have now, and the technology we will have for many years to come.

 

If you could sequence enough DNA fragments, you could eventually reconstruct their entire genome inside of a computer via statistical analysis.

 

This may seem like a far-off, impossible goal requiring an obscene amount of CPU power, but that's the same way the Human Genome project was seen and thanks to the Internet and rapid advances in the rate of gene sequencing the project was completed ahead of schedule.

[Dr. Dalek]

I heard about preserved T-Rex soft tissue six months ago. But this blows that away.

What I want to know is, are there anymore mummified Dinosaurs?

If so a Jurassic park would be far more possible.

[Martin]

Exciting article. Great find, bascule!

 

I heard about preserved T-Rex soft tissue six months ago. But this blows that away.

What I want to know is' date=' are there anymore mummified Dinosaurs?

If so a Jurassic park would be far more possible.[/quote']

 

I read that only about 1/10 of one percent of dinosaur fossils have fossilized soft tissue. Maybe I can retrieve the link. I saw also that only FOUR dino fossils so far have been classified as "mummies".

 

The "mummy" classifications means that a substantial amount of soft tissue is fossilized. Soft tissue does not usually leave an impression because it decays too fast. In this case the soft tissue decays, all right, but as it decays and is dissolved and washed away it is replaced by mineral---so there is a fossil copy of the skin or scale or pollengrain or whatever.

 

this is not exactly the article I was remembering, but has something:

http://www.calacademy.org/science_now/archive/headline_science/dinofind.html

 

"A dinosaur fossil covered with mineralized skin, scales, and muscles opens a window to dinosaur life.

 

A fossil dinosaur nicknamed Leonardo is the new star of the paleontological community. Nearly all the specimen's external soft tissues-including skin, scales, muscles, and a beak-are preserved, inspiring scientists to classify it as a mummy. Less than one-tenth of a percent of all dinosaur fossils pulled from the ground have sported soft tissue."

 

I think they mean mineralized impressions of soft tissue.

============

Here is another source

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1010_021010_dinomummy.html

 

 

**..."Mummified" Dinosaur Discovered In Montana

Hillary Mayell

for National Geographic News

October 11, 2002

 

Leonardo, a mummified, 77-million-year-old duck-billed dinosaur was only about three or four years old when he died, but he's proving to be a bonanza for paleontologists today.

 

His fossilized skeleton is covered in soft tissue—skin, scales, muscle, foot pads—and even his last meal is in his stomach. The actual tissue has decayed over the millennia, and has been replaced by minerals. What's left for scientists to study is a fossil of a dinosaur mummy.

 

"For paleontologists, if you can find one complete specimen in a lifetime, you've hit the jackpot," said Nate Murphy, curator of paleontology at the Phillips County Museum, Montana, where Leonardo makes his home. "To find one with so much external detail available, it's like going from a horse and buggy to a steam combustion engine. It will advance our science a quantum leap."

 

Leonardo is one of the most complete brachylophosaurus dinosaur fossils uncovered to date, and the first sub-adult. He is also only the fourth dinosaur fossil in the world to be classified as a "mummy" because of the soft tissue that is preserved....**

[mooeypoo]

I'm sorry to be the absolute lamen here, but how does something like this happen? From what I've read about mummified human beings, this is a process that should carefully be DONE to the body -- obviously, no one "done" this intentionally to the dinosaur... how does this happen in nature and if it DOES indeed happen naturally, why is this the only time something like this is found, and is there a chance we find more?

 

This is.. full of implications... woah..

 

~moo

[Martin]

I'm sorry to be the absolute lamen here' date=' but how does something like this happen? From what I've read about mummified human beings, this is a process that should carefully be DONE to the body -- obviously, no one "done" this intentionally to the dinosaur... how does this happen in nature and if it DOES indeed happen naturally, why is this the only time something like this is found, and is there a chance we find more?

 

This is.. full of implications... woah..

 

~moo[/quote']

Hi Moo,

you might get some details by reading my post just ahead of yours (which you may have missed)

 

a "mummy" type dino fossil is NOT THE SAME THING as a human mummy

it is a type of fossil, that is, mineral ----whereas the traditional Egypt mummy is made of organic substance

What is unusual and makes the fossil be classified as "mummy" type is the amount of fossil (mineral) impression left of soft parts

normally the fossil impression left in the ground is only of the bones (it is not the animals real bones, which have dissolved away, but again the impression of its bones which have been replaced by mineral deposit.

 

journalists may not always make this clear. look for articles where the word "mummy" is given in quotes.

 

when they exhume a mammoth from ice, or that man in a glacier in the alps, who was like 3000 years old, they quickly put him in the fridge or anyway treat it different from a fossil. if there is actual organic material, even if it has dried out so thoroughly that it cant rot, or even if it has been PICKLED by ancient Egyptian recipes, they would have to treat it different. this Leonardo fossil is just mineral and doesnt require that kind of kid gloves.

 

I could be wrong, but that's what I get from the article.

[mooeypoo]

you might get some details by reading my post just ahead of yours (which you may have missed)

 

Oops.. I did miss it, sorry Martin.

 

I'll read it now, but thanks for the explanation, I was really wondering as to the mummy thing..

 

~moo

[CharonY]

If you could sequence enough DNA fragments, you could eventually reconstruct their entire genome inside of a computer via statistical analysis.

 

Uhm, no, sorry. Even with bacteria this isn't possible (would be a dream of whole genome shotgun projects, though).

[Dr. Dalek]

The actual tissue has decayed over the millennia' date=' and has been replaced by minerals. What's left for scientists to study is a fossil of a dinosaur mummy.

[/quote']

Darn, got myself all excited for nothing!

[Skye]

There's been soft tissue found before.

http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9875&highlight=dinosaur

[AzurePhoenix]

and from what I can tell from the article at the very least the keratin in this mummy is still keratin, otherwise they never really state the fossilization state of the rest of the damn thing so I assume it's mostly mineralized tissue like suggested.