'Mummified' dinosaur reveals its last meal and colors
Scientists in Alberta, Canada, have uncovered an amazingly well-preserved nodosaur fossil—Borealopelta markmitchelli—that's been called the best dinosaur "mummy" ever found.
This ancient plant-eater still has its skin, armor, and even its last meal inside, thanks to being buried quickly under ocean mud.
How nodosaur camouflaged itself
Tests showed this nodosaur had reddish-brown coloring and countershading—a natural camouflage trick that helped it hide from big predators like Acrocanthosaurus.
Even though it was built like a tank (weighing about 1.3 tons!), blending in was key to staying safe.
Fossil named after the person who prepped it for study
The fossil is named after Mark Mitchell, who spent over 7,000 hours carefully preparing it for study.
This find gives scientists a rare peek at what life was really like back in the Early Cretaceous period—and you'll be able to see it yourself at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.