Buzz
Experts claim that the stunningly preserved nodosaur, now showcased at the Royal Tyrrell Museum (RTM) in Canada, is a newly identified species—an imposing, armored creature that wasn’t above seeking shelter when predators approached. This 'dinosaur equivalent of a tank' was detailed by the research team in the latest edition of the journal Current Biology.
The nodosaur's colossal remains were discovered by miners in Alberta in 2011, in what was once a seabed around 110 million years ago, when the creature perished. The immense stone and fossil block was sent to the museum, where technician Mark Mitchell dedicated himself to carefully extracting the specimen from its final resting place.
Mitchell spent over five years and 7,000 hours on the project. Every single hour proved invaluable, resulting in truly remarkable findings.
"This nodosaur is truly extraordinary in that it is entirely encased in preserved scaly skin, yet also exists in three dimensions, maintaining the original form of the creature. The result is that it appears almost identical today to how it would have looked during the Early Cretaceous," said museum scientist Caleb Brown in a statement. "With just a slight squint, you might almost think it's resting... It will be remembered in scientific history as one of the most stunning and well-preserved dinosaur specimens—the Mona Lisa of dinosaurs."
While Mitchell carefully worked to uncover the stone tomb, Brown and his team began the task of identifying the creature inside. They recognized it as part of the stocky, heavily armored nodosaur family, but couldn't determine its exact species.
Eventually, they discovered the reason for their uncertainty—it’s a species that has never been encountered before. Despite this, the remarkable preservation of the specimen allowed them to reconstruct what it may have looked like when alive.
Chemical analysis of the nodosaur's scales and horn sheaths revealed traces of a reddish-gold pigment known as pheomelanin. In humans, pheomelanin is responsible for red hair and gives lips and nipples their pinkish hue. In nodosaurs, this pigment likely gave them an orange coloration.
At least in certain areas. The researchers deduced that their herbivorous specimen likely had a pale underside, similar to a squirrel, with a darker back. This pattern, known as countershading, helps animals blend into their environment and evade predators.
That's correct: It turns out that the dinosaur's enormous, punk-like spikes and its tough hide weren't enough to protect it. It also needed to blend in.
"The heavy predation on such a massive, armored dinosaur underscores how perilous the Cretaceous dinosaur predators must have been," said Brown.
The team chose the name Borealopelta markmitchelli for their new species. The genus name combines "borealis" (Latin for "northern") and "pelta" (Greek for "shield"). The species name honors Mitchell, the scientists wrote, for his "patient and skilled" work in uncovering this remarkable specimen.
All images courtesy of the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
