A REMARKABLY WELL-PRE🌌SERVED SET OF BRACHYLOPHOSAURUS TAIL VERTEBRAE WITH SKIN IMPRESSIONS AND TENDONS

Brachylophosaurus, or "short-crested lizard," was a duck-billed dinosaur that roamed the area of what is now northern Montana and southern Alberta during the Late Cretaceous Period approximately 78 to 75 million years ago. This specimen was discovered in the Judith River Formation, home to one of the best-preserved and most diverse dinosaur fauna in the world. The first dinosaur remains were found there in 1855 by geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden (1829-87) who was conducting a survey of the area. Hayden's discoveries soon attracted many early American paleontologists, including such luminaries as Edward Drinker Cope (1840-97), who went on to name several dinosaurs from the partial remains he discovered. In recent years, researchers working in the area have recovered some of the best preserved dinosaur fossil remains, including those of Tyrannosaurus rex and Brachylophosaurus canadensis.

Almost all the fossil remains that survive the geological forces and great distances of time that separate us from the dinosaurs are bones and fragments of bone🅰s. For soft body parts such as skin to survive the fossilization process is extremely rare. Most commonly, the soft tissue of an animal decomposes long before it can be preserved, leaving behind only the hard tissues: bones, horns, and teeth. In this specimen, seven large, nearly complete tail (caudal) vertebrae have been almost perfectly preserved, with associated chevrons, ossified tendons, and skin impressions.

The skin impressions seen here are an entirely natural ℱcast, formed in the stone matrix that surrounds the skeleton. The few specimens that display detailed skin impressions have provided invaluable evidence for the study of these creatures. Indeed, the present piece, with its detailed preservation of individual scales, provides an incredibly rare glimpse into the look of these long-lost creatures. In addition to skin impressions, several ossified tendons have been preserved on the top left section of the chevrons, another incredible feature of this exquisitely preserved fossil.

Brachylophosaurus was an extremely large animal, growing up to 36 feet in length, and weighing as much as 7 tons. It had a helmet-like crest on the top of its head, which was likely used in "head-butting" contests with competitors. The groundbreaking discovery of partially preserved, or "mummified," specimens transformed our understanding of the species. In the year 2000, Dan Stephenson, an amateur paleontologist, discovered Leonardo, a fully articulated and partially mummi😼fied skeleton of a sub-adult Brachylophosaurus, with preserved soft tissueওs and even stomach contents, making it invaluable for scientific study. Testing on Leonardo confirmed that Brachylophosaurus was an herbivore, with a diet consisting of leaves, conifers, ferns, and flowering plants.