Scientists uncover rare dinosaur mummies, shedding new light on prehistoric life

Researchers have discovered an exceptionally rare pair of dinosaur mummies in eastern Wyoming that appear to have been preserved in an unexpected and unusual way, providing fresh clues about what these ancient creatures once looked like.

Unlike the carefully wrapped mummies of ancient Egypt or naturally preserved human remains found in bogs and deserts, dinosaur mummies are created when skin and soft tissues fossilise over millions of years. These rare finds allow scientists to reconstruct the appearance and anatomy of prehistoric species in remarkable detail.

Palaeontologists have been unearthing such specimens for more than a century — some quickly buried after death, others preserved in water or by drying out. The newly studied fossils, found in what scientists call the "mummy zone" of eastern Wyoming, include the mummified remains of a young duck-billed dinosaur estimated to have been only a few years old when it died.

"This is the first juvenile of a dinosaur that really is mummified," said Paul Sereno, a University of Chicago palaeontologist involved in the discovery.

What surprised researchers most was that these new mummies did not contain fossilised skin. Instead, the skin and scale patterns left impressions on a thin clay layer that hardened over time with the help of microbes. While this type of preservation has been documented in aquatic environments, scientists had not believed it could occur on land. Sereno suggested that other mummified remains found in the same area may have formed through a similar process.

Using the clay imprints as natural templates, researchers recreated the dinosaurs' appearance — complete with tail spikes and hoof-like feet — offering the most detailed depiction yet of the duck-billed species. The study was published Thursday in the journal Science.

Experts say understanding how these mummies formed could guide future fossil hunts. Beyond bones, scientists may need to pay closer attention to subtle traces of skin or tissue impressions that are often overlooked.

"Every single time we find one, there's such a treasure trove of information about these animals," said Stephanie Drumheller, a vertebrate palaeontologist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who was not involved in the study.

Palaeontologists believe that each discovery of such mummified fossils adds invaluable insight into how dinosaurs lived, grew, and interacted with their environments millions of years ago.