Secrets of the Dinosaurs: The Real Jurassic Americas (Full Episode) | Drain the Oceans

Summary by Krater

This documentary follows paleontologists as they excavate, prepare, and analyze a remarkably well-preserved nodosaur fossil found in Suncor's Millennium Mine in Alberta, Canada. Through advanced scanning, geological mapping, and geochemical analysis, researchers discover it is a brand-new species named Borealopelta markmitchelli, weighing 1.35 metric tons and dating back roughly 110-112 million years.

From the video

Answers: How was the remarkably well-preserved Borealopelta nodosaur fossil discovered, prepared, and analyzed?

• paleontology
• dinosaur excavation
• fossil preparation
• Borealopelta markmitchelli
• nodosaur
• XROMM technology
• geochemical analysis
• Cretaceous period
• Royal Tyrrell Museum

What it concludes

• The Borealopelta markmitchelli fossil is the best-preserved armored dinosaur in the world due to being preserved in marine sediment after floating out to sea.
• Geochemical analysis of the fossilized skin revealed traces of benzothiazole, a breakdown product of pheomelanin, indicating the dinosaur had a reddish-brown coloration.
• The nodosaur fossil weighed 1.35 metric tons (65 short tons is quoted for Dreadnoughtus, Borealopelta weighed significantly less at 1.35 metric tons / 1.5 tons), making it comparable to modern large herbivores.
• Multiple dinosaur skeletons found together at various sites suggest large predators like tyrannosaurs hunted in packs.