'Stunningly preserved' dinosaur 'mummies' discovered in Wyoming have skin and hooves

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in Wyoming, shedding new light on the lives of duck-billed dinosaurs. Fossils found more than 100 years ago have been re-examined, revealing stunningly preserved skin, spikes, and even hooves. The Edmontosaurus annectens fossils were initially thought to be just skeletons, but recent research has confirmed that they contain not only bones but also delicate clay molds of fleshy body parts protected by a layer of clay.

The clay layers surrounding the fossils are bound together by sandstone, rather than fossilized soft tissue. This unique preservation method has allowed scientists to uncover details about the dinosaur's appearance and behavior. The discovery includes a juvenile Edmontosaurus annectens, which is the first subadult dinosaur mummy ever found, along with its fully preserved fleshly outline.

Among the most significant finds are functional and morphological similarities between the ancient duck-billed dinosaurs and modern squamates. This suggests that these prehistoric creatures may have had more complex skin patterns than previously thought. The adult specimen also retains its full tail spike row, marking a first for reptiles with hooved feet.

The discovery of well-preserved Edmontosaurus annectens fossils in eastern Wyoming has provided valuable insights into the lives and habits of these fascinating creatures. The unique preservation conditions have allowed scientists to reconstruct their appearance and behaviors in greater detail than ever before. This groundbreaking research offers a glimpse into the lives of ancient animals that once roamed our planet, providing new perspectives on evolution, adaptation, and the diversity of life on Earth.

Wow ! I'm so down with this ancient discovery, like whoa! Interesting how they found all these hidden details about Edmontosaurus annectens, especially those clay layers protecting their soft body parts... it's crazy! The fact that we can now see the first subadult dinosaur mummy is just mind-blowing, I'm literally geeking out over here .

I mean, can you even believe this?! They've actually found fossils with skin and spikes on 'em! It's wild to think those dinosaurs had hooves too And now we're learning that they might have had more complex skin patterns than we thought - who knew? The fact that the clay layers are bound together by sandstone is pretty cool, it's like a natural science museum exhibit right in Wyoming! The discovery of a juvenile dinosaur 'mummy' with its fleshly outline is mind-blowing too... it's like we're getting a glimpse into their daily lives. This research is giving us so many new perspectives on evolution and adaptation, I'm loving it!

I mean, can you even believe this?! They're like, uncovering all these hidden details about these dinosaurs and it's just wild! Like, the idea that their skin and spikes were preserved in clay molds is mind-blowing. And to think they found a dinosaur 'mummy' with its flesh still intact... it's crazy. The fact that it has similarities with modern squamates makes me wonder if these ancient creatures had more complex patterns than we thought. I love how scientists are able to reconstruct their appearance and behaviors now, it's like they're bringing them back to life in a way.

omg what's up with these discoveries they found fossils from like 100 yrs ago but now we're seeing skin & spikes & even HOOF print and it's all preserved in this clay layer... that's wild! the fact that scientists can see the delicate body parts just by using a special technique is insane and it looks like these dinosaurs had some crazy cool skin patterns too they're similar to modern squamates, which means we might've been wrong about their skin before this discovery is giving us new perspectives on evolution & adaptation... it's all so mind-blowing

omg can you even imagine seeing a real-life dinosaur fossil with skin and all like this Edmontosaurus annectens discovery is mind-blowing!!! scientists are like total geniuses to find out so many details about these ancient creatures, especially the clay molds that protected their body parts it's crazy how this research is helping us learn more about evolution and adaptation

Oh man, can you believe this?! Scientists are literally uncovering secrets of the past and it's mind-blowing! I mean, who knew that fossils could preserve skin, spikes, and even hooves? It's like we're getting a glimpse into a whole different world. The fact that they found a juvenile dinosaur mummy is just crazy – I wish I was there when they first discovered those bones all those years ago!

I'm fascinated by the similarities between ancient duck-billed dinosaurs and modern squamates. It makes me wonder if these prehistoric creatures were more complex than we thought. And can you imagine being able to study their behavior and appearance in such detail? It's like a whole new level of paleontology.

This discovery is not only amazing for scientists but also for us as humans. It gives us a chance to learn about evolution, adaptation, and the diversity of life on Earth in a way that's both accessible and awe-inspiring. I'm loving this!

omg like can you even imagine finding fossils of duck-billed dinosaurs with preserved skin spikes and hooves it's wild to think they had more complex skin patterns than we thought and this juvenile dinosaur mummy is insane I'm living for the fact that scientists found a whole new level of details about these ancient creatures and now we get to learn about their behaviors and habits in a way that's never been possible before it's like stepping into another world

You know what's wild? How this discovery is teaching us to appreciate the tiny details in life... I mean, clay molds of fleshy body parts preserved for over 100 years! It's like, we're so used to looking at bones and not seeing beyond them, but these scientists are showing us that even in death, there's still so much to learn. And it's not just about the dinosaurs themselves, it's about how their skin patterns and behavior might be similar to modern squamates... Mind blown, right? It's like, we can learn so much from nature, if we only take the time to observe and appreciate its tiny details.

I'm not entirely convinced about this discovery... like, what's to stop us from misinterpreting these clay layers as evidence of soft tissue? And aren't we talking about fossils that are over 100 years old here? How can we be sure the preservation conditions didn't alter the original material in some way? I mean, sandstone is still a rock, right? Still, I'm all for investigating ancient creatures and learning more about their lives. But let's keep our science in check, folks!

omg I'm so stoked about this discovery ! Scientists are like total rockstars for figuring out these fossils were more than just skeletons . The fact that we can see skin, spikes, and even hooves is just mind-blowing . And the idea that ancient duck-billed dinosaurs had complex skin patterns similar to modern squamates? Who knew, right? It's like they're saying these prehistoric creatures were way more fascinating than we thought .

And can you believe there's a subadult dinosaur mummy? That's just wild! The researchers are doing an amazing job of reconstructing the appearance and behaviors of these ancient animals. I'm all about learning more about our planet's history and the creatures that lived here #DinoDiscovery #PrehistoricFinds #AncientAnimalsUncovered

Omg I'm literally shook by this discovery!!! The fact that scientists were able to uncover preserved skin and spikes from fossils that old is mind-blowing I mean, who knew those ancient duck-billed dinosaurs had hooves too? It's like they're telling us their own story through these clay molds... It's so cool! And the fact that modern squamates have similar skin patterns suggests there's more to these creatures than we thought I'm also low-key excited for more discoveries in the future

this is wild! i mean, who knew what duck-billed dinosaurs looked like? it's crazy to think about how much we've learned from these fossils - like, did they have fancy skin patterns or not? and that subadult mummy? talk about a cool discovery! the fact that we can see their fleshly outline is insane. i'm also intrigued by the idea that they might've had more complex skin than we thought. it's all about shedding new light on these prehistoric creatures

OMG, you guys! I was just thinking about this amazing documentary I watched last night about the most epic road trip across America ... and I started imagining what it would be like to visit these fossil sites in person . Like, can you even imagine walking through a field of ancient dinosaur bones? It gives me chills just thinking about it! Anyway, back to the dinosaurs... did you know that some modern lizards have really cool adaptations too? I was reading about how some species can change color to blend in with their surroundings . It's crazy how much we can learn from these ancient creatures and how they influenced our own planet's evolution . Oh, and I just remembered that my favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry... have you tried any good ones lately?

I mean, can you even imagine finding fossils from over 100 years ago that were just sitting there like waiting to be re-examined? It's crazy! And now we get to see these ancient creatures in a whole new light - literally. The clay molds of their skin and spikes are mind-blowing. It's like they're frozen in time or something.

And the fact that this juvenile Edmontosaurus annectens is like a dinosaur mummy, with its fleshly outline still intact... that's just wild. I love how scientists are finding all these cool details about their skin patterns and behavior too. The similarities between ancient duck-billed dinosaurs and modern squamates are really interesting - it suggests they might have had more complex skin than we thought.

This discovery is like a time capsule for us, showing what life was like back then. It's amazing how much we can learn from fossils and the preservation conditions that made them possible. Who knows what other secrets these ancient creatures will reveal to us?

[ Fossil find like "The Office" when they found Jim's old stapler ](https://giphy.com/gifs/the-office-jim-stapler-7d4e9c1a2e884e5f)

[ Scientists were like "Wow, we've got skin and spikes now! Let's put on a show!" ](https://giphy.com/gifs/anatomy-wizard-6LhZjxXqB0IcV)

[ A young 'dino-mite' discovery! First subadult dinosaur mummy, baby! ](https://giphy.com/gifs/dinosaur-baby-1e5vWYiF9aX8)

[ Squamates and ducks in the same fam? Complex skin patterns and all that jazz ](https://giphy.com/gifs/skinnysquid-3PqHrj6M2oKw)

[Dino-tail spike row: Who needs a tail when you can have spikes? ](https://giphy.com/gifs/dinosaur-spikes-8GZL4R7z9mFw)

[ Ancient secrets revealed, new perspectives on life ](https://giphy.com/gifs/book-reading-guy-wjvT6K3BfWtY)

Just imagine seeing this baby Edmontosaurus annectens fossil - totally mind blown by the amount of preserved fleshly outline! They were more cool than just skeletons, for sure.

OMG y'all this is mind-blowing! I mean can you even imagine walking around in 100 yrs old fossilized hooves? And they found a whole juvenile dinosaur mummy too?! Like, we're basically getting a glimpse into ancient lives right now. The fact that the clay layers preserved the skin and spikes like it was yesterday is insane. And those similarities with squamates are giving me serious 'Ancient Alien' vibes . This discovery is def changing our understanding of these dinosaurs and I'm here for it!

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

omg what's up with these ancient dino discoveries? like i'm so fascinated by how scientists are able to bring back the past in a way they're literally getting these clay layers to form this full fleshly outline it's wild! and that the subadult mummy is a thing too idk about the squamates similarities though but still mind blown that we get to learn more about our prehistoric ancestors like what were their social habits and stuff?