Excerpts from:
Scientists Get Rare Look at Dinosaur Soft Tissue
Fossil May Shed New Light on the Creatures
By Christopher Lee
A high school student hunting fossils in the badlands of his native North Dakota discovered an extremely rare mummified dinosaur that includes not just bones but also seldom seen fossilized soft tissue such as skin and muscles, scientists will announce today.
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Already, the scientists say they have made fascinating discoveries. The skin around the tail and on large swaths of the body appears generally in its original shape rather than squashed flat against the bones, giving researchers a three-dimensional look at Dakota. They can see both legs and arms and the chest cavity. The head and neck are not visible, but the researchers think they may be folded within the body block. They do not know whether the internal organs are there, nor have they determined the creature's sex, although they refer to it as a male.
The scientists have felt the scales near Dakota's elbow, noticing that they vary in size — an indication, perhaps, of changes in skin color, texture or flexibility. They found a fleshy pad on its palm, an indication that it did not permanently walk on all fours, and keratin hooves on its feet.
Also See:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/12/03/dinosaur.mummy.ap/index.html
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