The Discovery Of A Dinosaur Fossil With Skin In Southern Alberta Has Paleontologists Excited

Calgary biologist and dino enthusiast Teri Kaskie was actually looking for Tyrannosaurus rex teeth when she made the discovery. Kaskie volunteers at a field school in the park run by Professor Brian Pickles from the University of Reading. He and his colleagues bring students from the UK and Australia to learn and test field techniques in Alberta. Kaskie came across a cliff and noticed a petrified bone sticking out of it. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was larger and more intact than anything he had ever seen. “I went straight to Brian and you have to come check it out! And as it turned out, it was a pretty cool thing,” Caskey said. A man holds a piece of the Chandrosaurus fossil discovered at Dinosaur Provincial Park by Calgary-based biologist Teri Kaskie, showing the pebbly surface of the rare preserved skin. (Justin Pennell/CBC) What he found was a young hadrosaur so well preserved that it still had skin on it. Pickles knew it was an important find and brought it to the attention of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller, Alta. Experts say hadrosaur skeletons are common in the area, but it’s very rare to find one as well-preserved as Kaskie. “We took so many pictures. We sent them to the staff at the Royal Tyrrell Museum [and said]”Hey, I think we found something pretty big here,” Pickles said.

Skin in fossils ‘fairly rare’

When it comes to dinosaurs, Alberta has a rich fossil heritage, according to Caleb Brown, curator of dinosaur systematics and evolution at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. “Dinosaur Provincial Park is in some ways the crown jewel of this. There is no other place in the world that has the same abundance of dinosaur fossils and the same variety of dinosaur fossils in such a small area,” he added. Dino enthusiast Teri Kaskie, left, helps clear rocks and debris from around the Hadrosaur fossil she found along a cliff at Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta’s Southern Territories. (Justin Pennell/CBC) Hadrosaurs were herbivorous duck-billed dinosaurs, commonly referred to as the cows of the Cretaceous period. According to Brown, about 400 to 500 dinosaur skeletons or skulls have been excavated from the site. So finding dinosaur bones in the area is not difficult. But finding one where all the bones are still in the same position as they would have been in life is unusual. “And finding one that has a lot of skin on it is pretty rare.” The fact that the animal was a juvenile also made it an exciting find, Brown added. While the bones are informative, people who work with dinosaur fossils say there is so much they can learn from them. Skin on the other hand offers a unique window into understanding these animals from millions of years ago. “When you find skin, or better yet, internal organs, you can start to see what these animals looked like when they were living and breathing,” Pickles said. A close-up of skin on the ankle of the hadrosaur discovered at the Dinosaur Provincial Park. (Submitted by the Royal Tyrrell Museum) The skin allows paleontologists to learn more about the animals’ behavior while they were alive, in part by comparing the skin of different animals and other hadrosaurs at different life stages. “I mean, it’s exciting. Every day we’re out here, but … this, it’s even more exciting,” Brown said. Under the Historic Resources Act, fossils discovered in Alberta are the property of the province. They cannot be sold and must be designated for research. This means that this fossil will eventually arrive at the Royal Tyrrell Museum after it has been studied and analyzed. However, it will be a long time before that happens. The cliff face at Dinosaur Provincial Park where Teri Kaskie was looking for T. rex teeth when she spotted the hadrosaur. (Submitted by the Royal Tyrrell Museum) Crews are still working to remove rocks and debris from around the hadrosaur before any scientific work can begin. “We’re moving the debris to help remove it, and eventually we’re going to work on writing some scientific papers about the discovery and what it tells us,” Pickles said. “I intend to follow this dinosaur until it is a specimen on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.”

title: “The Discovery Of A Dinosaur Fossil With Skin In Southern Alberta Has Paleontologists Excited Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-27” author: “Kevin Scott”

Calgary biologist and dino enthusiast Teri Kaskie was actually looking for Tyrannosaurus rex teeth when she made the discovery. Kaskie volunteers at a field school in the park run by Professor Brian Pickles from the University of Reading. He and his colleagues bring students from the UK and Australia to learn and test field techniques in Alberta. Kaskie came across a cliff and noticed a petrified bone sticking out of it. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was larger and more intact than anything he had ever seen. “I went straight to Brian and you have to come check it out! And as it turned out, it was a pretty cool thing,” Caskey said. A man holds a piece of the Chandrosaurus fossil discovered at Dinosaur Provincial Park by Calgary-based biologist Teri Kaskie, showing the pebbly surface of the rare preserved skin. (Justin Pennell/CBC) What he found was a young hadrosaur so well preserved that it still had skin on it. Pickles knew it was an important find and brought it to the attention of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller, Alta. Experts say hadrosaur skeletons are common in the area, but it’s very rare to find one as well-preserved as Kaskie. “We took so many pictures. We sent them to the staff at the Royal Tyrrell Museum [and said]”Hey, I think we found something pretty big here,” Pickles said.

Skin in fossils ‘fairly rare’

When it comes to dinosaurs, Alberta has a rich fossil heritage, according to Caleb Brown, curator of dinosaur systematics and evolution at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. “Dinosaur Provincial Park is in some ways the crown jewel of this. There is no other place in the world that has the same abundance of dinosaur fossils and the same variety of dinosaur fossils in such a small area,” he added. Dino enthusiast Teri Kaskie, left, helps clear rocks and debris from around the Hadrosaur fossil she found along a cliff at Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta’s Southern Territories. (Justin Pennell/CBC) Hadrosaurs were herbivorous duck-billed dinosaurs, commonly referred to as the cows of the Cretaceous period. According to Brown, about 400 to 500 dinosaur skeletons or skulls have been excavated from the site. So finding dinosaur bones in the area is not difficult. But finding one where all the bones are still in the same position as they would have been in life is unusual. “And finding one that has a lot of skin on it is pretty rare.” The fact that the animal was a juvenile also made it an exciting find, Brown added. While the bones are informative, people who work with dinosaur fossils say there is so much they can learn from them. Skin on the other hand offers a unique window into understanding these animals from millions of years ago. “When you find skin, or better yet, internal organs, you can start to see what these animals looked like when they were living and breathing,” Pickles said. A close-up of skin on the ankle of the hadrosaur discovered at the Dinosaur Provincial Park. (Submitted by the Royal Tyrrell Museum) The skin allows paleontologists to learn more about the animals’ behavior while they were alive, in part by comparing the skin of different animals and other hadrosaurs at different life stages. “I mean, it’s exciting. Every day we’re out here, but … this, it’s even more exciting,” Brown said. Under the Historic Resources Act, fossils discovered in Alberta are the property of the province. They cannot be sold and must be designated for research. This means that this fossil will eventually arrive at the Royal Tyrrell Museum after it has been studied and analyzed. However, it will be a long time before that happens. The cliff face at Dinosaur Provincial Park where Teri Kaskie was looking for T. rex teeth when she spotted the hadrosaur. (Submitted by the Royal Tyrrell Museum) Crews are still working to remove rocks and debris from around the hadrosaur before any scientific work can begin. “We’re moving the debris to help remove it, and eventually we’re going to work on writing some scientific papers about the discovery and what it tells us,” Pickles said. “I intend to follow this dinosaur until it is a specimen on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.”

title: “The Discovery Of A Dinosaur Fossil With Skin In Southern Alberta Has Paleontologists Excited Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-22” author: “Dan Giorgio”

Calgary biologist and dino enthusiast Teri Kaskie was actually looking for Tyrannosaurus rex teeth when she made the discovery. Kaskie volunteers at a field school in the park run by Professor Brian Pickles from the University of Reading. He and his colleagues bring students from the UK and Australia to learn and test field techniques in Alberta. Kaskie came across a cliff and noticed a petrified bone sticking out of it. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was larger and more intact than anything he had ever seen. “I went straight to Brian and you have to come check it out! And as it turned out, it was a pretty cool thing,” Caskey said. A man holds a piece of the Chandrosaurus fossil discovered at Dinosaur Provincial Park by Calgary-based biologist Teri Kaskie, showing the pebbly surface of the rare preserved skin. (Justin Pennell/CBC) What he found was a young hadrosaur so well preserved that it still had skin on it. Pickles knew it was an important find and brought it to the attention of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller, Alta. Experts say hadrosaur skeletons are common in the area, but it’s very rare to find one as well-preserved as Kaskie. “We took so many pictures. We sent them to the staff at the Royal Tyrrell Museum [and said]”Hey, I think we found something pretty big here,” Pickles said.

Skin in fossils ‘fairly rare’

When it comes to dinosaurs, Alberta has a rich fossil heritage, according to Caleb Brown, curator of dinosaur systematics and evolution at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. “Dinosaur Provincial Park is in some ways the crown jewel of this. There is no other place in the world that has the same abundance of dinosaur fossils and the same variety of dinosaur fossils in such a small area,” he added. Dino enthusiast Teri Kaskie, left, helps clear rocks and debris from around the Hadrosaur fossil she found along a cliff at Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta’s Southern Territories. (Justin Pennell/CBC) Hadrosaurs were herbivorous duck-billed dinosaurs, commonly referred to as the cows of the Cretaceous period. According to Brown, about 400 to 500 dinosaur skeletons or skulls have been excavated from the site. So finding dinosaur bones in the area is not difficult. But finding one where all the bones are still in the same position as they would have been in life is unusual. “And finding one that has a lot of skin on it is pretty rare.” The fact that the animal was a juvenile also made it an exciting find, Brown added. While the bones are informative, people who work with dinosaur fossils say there is so much they can learn from them. Skin on the other hand offers a unique window into understanding these animals from millions of years ago. “When you find skin, or better yet, internal organs, you can start to see what these animals looked like when they were living and breathing,” Pickles said. A close-up of skin on the ankle of the hadrosaur discovered at the Dinosaur Provincial Park. (Submitted by the Royal Tyrrell Museum) The skin allows paleontologists to learn more about the animals’ behavior while they were alive, in part by comparing the skin of different animals and other hadrosaurs at different life stages. “I mean, it’s exciting. Every day we’re out here, but … this, it’s even more exciting,” Brown said. Under the Historic Resources Act, fossils discovered in Alberta are the property of the province. They cannot be sold and must be designated for research. This means that this fossil will eventually arrive at the Royal Tyrrell Museum after it has been studied and analyzed. However, it will be a long time before that happens. The cliff face at Dinosaur Provincial Park where Teri Kaskie was looking for T. rex teeth when she spotted the hadrosaur. (Submitted by the Royal Tyrrell Museum) Crews are still working to remove rocks and debris from around the hadrosaur before any scientific work can begin. “We’re moving the debris to help remove it, and eventually we’re going to work on writing some scientific papers about the discovery and what it tells us,” Pickles said. “I intend to follow this dinosaur until it is a specimen on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.”

title: “The Discovery Of A Dinosaur Fossil With Skin In Southern Alberta Has Paleontologists Excited Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-01” author: “Bernard Treto”

Calgary biologist and dino enthusiast Teri Kaskie was actually looking for Tyrannosaurus rex teeth when she made the discovery. Kaskie volunteers at a field school in the park run by Professor Brian Pickles from the University of Reading. He and his colleagues bring students from the UK and Australia to learn and test field techniques in Alberta. Kaskie came across a cliff and noticed a petrified bone sticking out of it. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was larger and more intact than anything he had ever seen. “I went straight to Brian and you have to come check it out! And as it turned out, it was a pretty cool thing,” Caskey said. A man holds a piece of the Chandrosaurus fossil discovered at Dinosaur Provincial Park by Calgary-based biologist Teri Kaskie, showing the pebbly surface of the rare preserved skin. (Justin Pennell/CBC) What he found was a young hadrosaur so well preserved that it still had skin on it. Pickles knew it was an important find and brought it to the attention of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller, Alta. Experts say hadrosaur skeletons are common in the area, but it’s very rare to find one as well-preserved as Kaskie. “We took so many pictures. We sent them to the staff at the Royal Tyrrell Museum [and said]”Hey, I think we found something pretty big here,” Pickles said.

Skin in fossils ‘fairly rare’

When it comes to dinosaurs, Alberta has a rich fossil heritage, according to Caleb Brown, curator of dinosaur systematics and evolution at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. “Dinosaur Provincial Park is in some ways the crown jewel of this. There is no other place in the world that has the same abundance of dinosaur fossils and the same variety of dinosaur fossils in such a small area,” he added. Dino enthusiast Teri Kaskie, left, helps clear rocks and debris from around the Hadrosaur fossil she found along a cliff at Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta’s Southern Territories. (Justin Pennell/CBC) Hadrosaurs were herbivorous duck-billed dinosaurs, commonly referred to as the cows of the Cretaceous period. According to Brown, about 400 to 500 dinosaur skeletons or skulls have been excavated from the site. So finding dinosaur bones in the area is not difficult. But finding one where all the bones are still in the same position as they would have been in life is unusual. “And finding one that has a lot of skin on it is pretty rare.” The fact that the animal was a juvenile also made it an exciting find, Brown added. While the bones are informative, people who work with dinosaur fossils say there is so much they can learn from them. Skin on the other hand offers a unique window into understanding these animals from millions of years ago. “When you find skin, or better yet, internal organs, you can start to see what these animals looked like when they were living and breathing,” Pickles said. A close-up of skin on the ankle of the hadrosaur discovered at the Dinosaur Provincial Park. (Submitted by the Royal Tyrrell Museum) The skin allows paleontologists to learn more about the animals’ behavior while they were alive, in part by comparing the skin of different animals and other hadrosaurs at different life stages. “I mean, it’s exciting. Every day we’re out here, but … this, it’s even more exciting,” Brown said. Under the Historic Resources Act, fossils discovered in Alberta are the property of the province. They cannot be sold and must be designated for research. This means that this fossil will eventually arrive at the Royal Tyrrell Museum after it has been studied and analyzed. However, it will be a long time before that happens. The cliff face at Dinosaur Provincial Park where Teri Kaskie was looking for T. rex teeth when she spotted the hadrosaur. (Submitted by the Royal Tyrrell Museum) Crews are still working to remove rocks and debris from around the hadrosaur before any scientific work can begin. “We’re moving the debris to help remove it, and eventually we’re going to work on writing some scientific papers about the discovery and what it tells us,” Pickles said. “I intend to follow this dinosaur until it is a specimen on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.”