In 2011, a worker at an oil sands mine in Alberta, Canada discovered a 110 million-year-old nodosaur fossil, named Borealopelta markmitchelli. The fossil was found lying on its back in a marine deposit, and its exceptional preservation was due to the "bloat-and-float" process, where the dinosaur's corpse was washed out to sea and sank to the bottom, where it was protected by a concretion of sediment. The fossil included osteoderms, skin structures, and even preserved evidence of coloration, with a reddish-brown back and pale underside, suggesting countershading for camouflage. Analysis of the dinosaur's gut contents revealed that it was a picky eater, with a preference for ferns, and may have been attracted to wildfire-stricken areas where these plants thrived. The discovery of Borealopelta has provided significant insights into the biology and behavior of nodosaurs, and is considered one of the most important dinosaur fossils ever found.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A worker at an oil sands mine in Alberta, Canada, discovered the remains of a 110 million-year-old nodosaur in 2011.
2. The nodosaur was named Borealopelta markmitchelli after the technician who spent over five years cleaning up the fossil.
3. Borealopelta markmitchelli represented a completely new species of dinosaur.
4. The fossil was found in the Early Cretaceous Clearwater Formation, where fossils of marine reptiles like plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs often turn up.
5. Borealopelta had an almost complete set of osteoderms, which are bony plates embedded in the skin.
6. The fossil contained super-rare remnants of softer body materials, including skin and pigmentation.
7. The dinosaur's body was found upside-down in a marine deposit, suggesting it had fossilized underwater.
8. Nodosaurs belonged to a larger group of herbivorous dinosaurs called the ankylosaurs.
9. Ankylosaurs can be divided into two major groups: the ankylosaurids and the nodosaurids.
10. Borealopelta had long spikes on its shoulders and a narrower snout, unlike ankylosaurids which had short, wide skulls and bony clubs on their tails.
11. Two of the oldest known nodosaurs are Gargoyleosaurus and Mymoorapelta, which lived in the western U.S. during the late Jurassic Period.
12. Nodosaurs persisted throughout the Cretaceous Period, until the Age of Dinosaurs ended 66 million years ago.
13. Many nodosaur fossils have been found in marine deposits, including those of the Western Interior Seaway and the Mowry Sea.
14. Borealopelta's body was likely washed out to sea after its death, rather than swimming there.
15. The "bloat-and-float" process, where a corpse becomes buoyant due to gas buildup, may have contributed to the dinosaur's journey to the sea floor.
16. The concretion around Borealopelta's body helped preserve its skeleton and skin.
17. The fossil contained tiny, polygonal scales and delicate skin structures, including evidence of keratin sheaths on its osteoderms.
18. Borealopelta's skin was likely reddish-brown on its back and pale on its underside, with a countershaded pattern.
19. The dinosaur's gut contents included plant material, mostly from ferns, which may have been its preferred food source.
20. Charcoal found in the cololite suggests that Borealopelta may have eaten plants in areas affected by wildfires.