Happy Fossil Friday!
Who: Borealopelta markmitchelli
name meaning: "Northern shield" "Mark Mitchell"
pronunciation: Bore-ee-al-oh-pell-tah Mark-Mitchell-eye
What: A nodosaur, the un-clubbed kin to ankylosaurs
When: Early Cretaceous Period
Where: Alberta, Canada
Fun fact!: The specimen pictured above is one of the most well preserved dinosaurs ever discovered. It was discovered by miner Shawn Funk at Millennium Mine oil sands just north of Fort McMurray in Alberta. This local was perfect for exceptional preservation as the deposits were predominantly bitumen-rich (coal) sands. Preserved on the animal are not only skin impressions, but a snapshot image of what the animal would have looked like in life, and even red pigments have been found that indicate the hue of the skin.
Image Credits: (Left: Meet Borealopelta markmitchelli, ‘Best-Preserved Armored Dinosaur’ | Paleontology | Sci-News.com Right: M. Cross)
