110-million-year-old dinosaur ‘mummy’ found in Canada with intact skin and organs

Dinosaur "Mummy" With Intact Skin Unearthed in Canada (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Millions of years ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth and vanished, leaving behind traces that tell stories of a forgotten world. Now, a remarkable find in Canada brought one of those narratives to light.

What makes this discovery different?
Alberta miners unearthed the fossilised dinosaur remains so perfectly preserved that scientists termed it a "mummy". In contrast to the majority of fossils that only provide bone records, this one contains fossilised skin, armor, and even impressions of internal organs like intestines. Experts say it offers a rare and detailed look into a dinosaur that walked the planet over 110 million years ago.

According to Futura Sciences, the fossil is now displayed at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta. It belongs to the nodosaur family, a group of heavily armoured, plant-eating dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period. The preservation is so exceptional that researchers have been able to reconstruct its appearance down to its scales and soft tissues.

How was the dinosaur discovered?
The find was purely accidental. As reported by National Geographic, workers drilling at the Suncor Millennium Mine near Fort McMurray expected to uncover rock or coal. Instead, they revealed the petrified remains of the nodosaur, encased in marine sediments.

Experts believe the dinosaur weighed around 1,400 kilograms when alive, and even in its fossilised form, it still weighs about 1,100 kilograms. Although parts like the tail, legs, and one forelimb are missing, technician Mark Mitchell, who spent more than seven years preparing the fossil, described it as “the best-preserved nodosaur ever discovered.”

How did the skin stay intact for so long?
Researchers think the dinosaur perished close to the sea, sank onto the seabed and was rapidly buried by minerals. This natural process avoided decomposition and helped preserve both outer skin and internal tissues. Marine deposits found inside the skin support this theory.

Don Henderson, a palaeontologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, told Futura Sciences that the fossil’s soft tissues and stomach area, showing defined intestines, make it “almost unheard-of” among dinosaur discoveries.

What have scientists learned from the fossil?
A study in Current Biology, led by Caleb Brown and his team, officially named the species Borealopelta markmitchelli—meaning “Mark Mitchell’s northern shield.” The name honours the researcher who spent over 7,000 hours uncovering the fossil.

The study also found traces of countershading pigmentation on the dinosaur’s skin, suggesting a reddish-brown top and lighter underside that likely helped it camouflage from predators.

Experts at the Royal Tyrrell Museum say this nodosaur is unmatched in its preservation in North America, and possibly the world. Although not yet fully assembled, it is a scientific gem that is still changing how dinosaur life and fossilisation are known today.

This inadvertent discovery not only saves a moment from the age of millions but also reminds scientists how nature is still capable of letting out secrets buried long in time.