In 2011, a fossil of a 110 million-year-old nodosaur, named Borealopelta markmitchelli, was discovered in an oil sands mine in Alberta, Canada. The fossil was found in a marine deposit, despite the fact that nodosaurs were land-dwelling dinosaurs. The fossil was remarkably well-preserved, with many of its bones, skin, and even internal organs still intact. The fossil included a complete set of osteoderms, or bony plates, that covered the dinosaur's back, as well as remnants of softer body materials and traces of pigmentation. The fossil also included a "cola light," a fossilized lump of intestinal contents, which provided clues about the dinosaur's diet. Analysis of the cola light revealed that the dinosaur ate mainly ferns, and may have been attracted to areas that had been affected by wildfires. The fossil also preserved evidence of the dinosaur's coloration, with a reddish-brown back and pale underside, which may have been an example of counter-shading, a camouflage technique. The discovery of Borealopelta has provided significant insights into the biology and behavior of nodosaurs, and has shed light on the environment in which they lived.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. In 2011, a worker at an oil sands mine in Alberta, Canada discovered a 110 million-year-old nodosaur fossil.
2. The fossil was named Borealopelta markmitchelli after the technician who spent over five years cleaning it up.
3. The fossil represented a completely new species of nodosaur.
4. The fossil was found with an almost complete set of osteoderms, which are bony plates embedded in the skin.
5. The fossil also contained remnants of softer body materials and had traces of pigmentation.
6. The fossil was found lying on its back in a marine deposit, and it is believed that the dinosaur died on land and was washed out to sea.
7. The fossil was discovered in the Clearwater Formation in Alberta, Canada.
8. The fossil is estimated to be around 110 million years old, from the Early Cretaceous period.
9. The nodosaur is believed to have weighed around 1,300 kilograms.
10. The fossil contained a soccer ball-sized lump of fossilized intestinal contents, which provided clues about the dinosaur's diet.
11. The intestinal contents included bits and pieces of land plants, including ferns, which were likely a favorite food of the nodosaur.
12. The fossil also contained samples of charcoal, which suggested that wildfires were common during the Cretaceous period.
13. The nodosaur is believed to have been a picky eater, with a taste for ferns, and may have been attracted to wildfire-stricken areas where these plants were thriving.
14. The fossil was preserved in a concretion, a hard rock formation, which helped to protect the dinosaur's remains.
15. The fossil was found with a layer of keratin, a protein found in skin and hair, which provided clues about the dinosaur's appearance.
16. The keratin layer was found to be around 1 centimeter thick in some places, and made up around 25% of the total length of each spike.
17. The fossil provided evidence of the dinosaur's coloration, with a reddish-brown back and a pale underside.
18. The coloration is believed to have been an example of counter-shading, which would have made the dinosaur harder to see in its natural environment.
19. The fossil was discovered in an area that was once a marine environment, but is now a terrestrial landscape.
20. The discovery of the fossil provided a unique insight into the life and death of a nodosaur, and has shed new light on the biology and behavior of these dinosaurs.