Duck-billed Dinosaur Mummy (Brachylophosaurus)

Some skeletons dug from Judith River sandstones are more than just bones – they are mummies. These fine grained sandstones actually preserved portions of skin and other soft tissues, as with this Brachylophosaurus. This is a 3D rapid prototype of the famous Judithian-Age mummy, “Leonardo.” Observe the scales on the forearm and ankle. These would have protected the dinosaur’s legs when it moved through rough, prickly bushes, scales over the ribcage are smaller, and along the midline of the neck and back are a row of scaly bumps. Leonardo is an outstandingly well-preserved dinosaur. Besides large areas of skin, the contents of the digestive track have been preserved. These contents give us clues about the duck-bill’s digestive process. Old theories held that duck-billed dinosaurs ate soft water plants. But microscopic study shows that Leonardo’s stomach contains thousands of bits of bones and conifer needles – proof that the duck-bill used its jaws to chop tough plant parts.