Lot 627
Dinosaur Skin With Soft Tissue, Dinosaur skin is the rarest and most coveted of dinosaur fossils because of its extreme rarity being preserved only under extraordinary conditions. The dinosaur had to have been completely covered by fine mud sediments probably in a large river delta within a day or so after dying to avoid bacterial breakdown of the skin and soft tissue which would occur immediately. This type of extreme condition may have occurred in a massive flood. The skin texture was impressed in detail in the soft clay forming a natural mold which was later filled by more muddy sand creating a natural cast and remained intact for over 65 million years even after the skin and other soft tissue was destroyed by bacteria. This large section of dinosaur skin is from the back of the hip or tail section of an Edmontosaurus duckbilled dinosaur and is between 65-70 million years old and was found along with some fragmented Edmontosaurus bones in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. Also only found on "dinosaur mummies" soft tissue has also been fossilized along with the skin. The soft tissue could be muscle or glands but it is something that was just beneath the skin. The answer might be coming soon as a more complete Edmontosaurus with soft tissue has been found and was featured on a National Geographic Show titled "Dinosaur Autopsy " with a book coming out later this year.
This large section of matrix is 9 x 4 inches and has deep, very distinct skin impressions on both sides of the limestone rock. The best detailed skin is 4 x 2 inches showing excellent detail and color. Also present on the bottom of the slab is a 3 x 2 inch dark brown imprint of the muscle or gland that was present just beneath the skin. Also included is the negative of this rare undescribed duck billed dinosaur soft tissue. The negative section shows straight creases running the entire length of the muscle or gland. These wrinkles or creases could have resulted from the fossilized soft tissue drying out in the fossilization process. All of the color is original just as found when this rare specimen was broken out of a larger piece of rock. The Dinosaur Autopsy show called their find the most important of the decade, and an offering of dinosaur skin with soft tissue preservation may never be offered for sale again.
Allow $25 for domestic shipping.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,250
|
| |
| Realized $780 |
