In other dinosaur news,
PhysOrg reported a nest of 15 Protoceratops juveniles found in Mongolia, the first nest of their genus ever found. The paleontologist from University of Rhode Island said “I suspect” they were buried in a sandstorm, but admitted they had to be buried rapidly to be preserved in such detail. And although extinct marine reptiles are not dinosaurs,
PhysOrg also reported on an exceptionally-preserved mosasaur fossil discovered in western Kansas.
Live Science said of this specimen, “In the
fossilized skin samples, the researchers can
see not only the animal's scales, but also imprints of the protein fibers that made up its skin.” The discovery was reported in
PLoS ONE by Lindgren
et al.1 1. Lindgren J , Everhart MJ , Caldwell MW , 2011 Three-Dimensionally Preserved Integument Reveals Hydrodynamic Adaptations in the Extinct Marine Lizard Ectenosaurus (Reptilia, Mosasauridae). PLoS ONE 6(11): e27343. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027343.