List of dinosaur specimens with preserved soft tissue

There have been some discoveries of unusually well-preserved fossil dinosaur specimens which bear remnants of tissues and bodily structures. Organic tissue was previously thought to decay too quickly to enter the fossil record, unlike more mineralised bones and teeth, however, research now suggests the potential for the long-term preservation of original soft tissues over geological time,^[1] leading to the formulation of various hypotheses regarding the underlying mechanisms involved.^[2]

Ornithischians

Basal ornithischians

Nickname	Catalogue Number(s)	Institution(s)	Taxon	Age	Unit	Country(s)	Notes	Images
	INREC K3/109	Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Cryology	Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus	Bathonian	Ukureyskaya Formation	Russia	A basal ornithischian that preserves protofeathers.

Hadrosaurs

Nickname	Catalogue Number(s)	Institution(s)	Taxon	Age	Unit	Country(s)	Notes	Images
Dakota	MRF-03	Marmarth Research Foundation	Edmontosaurus annectens	Maastrichtian	Hell Creek Formation	United States	On display at North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum	Impression of "Dakota"'s skin
Trachodon mummy	AMNH 5060	American Museum of Natural History	Edmontosaurus annectens	Maastrichtian	Lance Formation	United States		The "Trachodon mummy"
Big Paul	LACM 17715	Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County	Magnapaulia laticaudus	Campanian	El Gallo Formation	Mexico		Impression of Big Paul's skin, being displayed at LACM
	AMNH 5220, AMNH 5221,and AMNH 5271	American Museum of Natural History	Saurolophus osborni	Maastrichtian	Horseshoe Canyon Formation	Canada
	Various	Dinosaurium, among others	Saurolophus angustirostris	Maastrichtian	Nemegt Formation	Mongolia, and China	Many specimens are known from the locale called the Dragon's Tomb, which often perseveres soft tissues. This makes it a target for fossil poachers
Leonardo		The Children's Museum of Indianapolis (on ten-year loan from Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Field Station, 2013-2023)	Brachylophosaurus canadensis	Campanian	Judith River Formation	United States	Well-preserved mummified specimen	Leonardo the Brachylophosaurus

Ceratopsians

Nickname	Catalogue Number(s)	Institution(s)	Taxon	Age	Unit	Country(s)	Notes
	SMF R 4970	Naturmuseum Senckenberg	Psittacosaurus sp.	Aptian	Jehol Biota	China	This animal displays pigment preservation, bristles as well as a preserved Cloaca.
			Triceratops^[3]	Maastrichtian
Lane	Formerly BHI-6273	Houston Museum of Natural Science^[4]	Triceratops horridus	Maastrichtian	Lance Formation	United States	Preserves extensive skin impressions, including large "nipple" scales on the sacrum and dorsum.^[4]

Thyreophorans

Nickname	Catalogue Number(s)	Institution(s)	Taxon	Age	Unit	Country(s)	Notes	Images
Suncor Nodosaur	TMP 2011.033. 0001^[5] ^[6] ^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[10] ^[11]	Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology	Borealopelta markmitchelli	Albian	Clearwater Formation	Canada	This animal displays pigment preservation, as well as keratinous sheaths and stomach contents.
Zuul (originally Sherman)		Royal Ontario Museum	Zuul crurivastator	Campanian	Judith River Formation	United States

Saurischians

Maniraptoriformes

Catalogue Number(s)	Institution(s)	Taxon	Age	Unit	Country(s)	Notes
IVPP V14378, LPM – B00 169, and BMNHC PH828	Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Liaoning Paleontological Museum, and the Beijing Museum of Natural History	Anchiornis huxleyi	Oxfordian	Tiaojishan Formation	China	Many specimens of Anchiornis have been found, but a majority have not been described
IVPP 21711	Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology	Cruralispennia multidonta	Hauterivian	Huajiying Formation	China	It is a small Enantiornithine bird, it preserves pigment
PMoL-B00175	Paleontological Museum of Liaoning	Caihong juji	Oxfordian	Yanliao Biota	China	The small bird possess pigments that might indicate black and iridescent colors.
MUSM 1444		Inkayacu paracasensis	Divisaderan-Tinguirirican	Otuma Formation	Peru	A Fossil Penguin; pigments are preserved on this specimen.
see Specimens of Archaeopteryx	British Museum, the Maxburg Museum, among others	Archaeopteryx lithographica	Tithonian	Solnhofen Limestone	Germany
see Specimens of Archaeopteryx	Natural History Museum, Berlin and the Wyoming Dinosaur Center	Archaeopteryx siemensii	Tithonian	Solnhofen Limestone	Germany
UFrJ-Dg 031	Federal University of Rio de Janeiro	Cratoavis cearensis	Aptian	Crato Formation	Brazil	It is a small Enantiornithine bird, it preserves a pygostyle and body feathers.
FMHH PA 778	Field Museum of Natural History	Nahmavis grandei	Eocene	Green River Formation	United States	This bird comes from the Eocene Lagerstätte of the Green River in Wyoming.
CAGS-IG-04-0801	Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences	Jinfengopteryx elegans	Aptian	Huajiying Formation	China	A Troodontid Dinosaur with extensive feather preservation.
IVPP V24194	Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology	Jinguofortis perplexus	Barremian	Dabeigou Formation	China	A Pygostylian Bird with feather preservation.
GMV-2129	Geological Museum of China	Changchengornis hengdaoziensis	Barremian-Aptian	Yixian Formation	China	A Confuciusornithidae Bird with feather preservation.

Compsognathidae

Catalogue Number(s)	Institution(s)	Taxon	Age	Unit	Country(s)	Notes
GMV 2123 and its counter slab, NIGP 127587, and D 2141	Geologic Museum of China, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and the Dalian Natural History Museum	Sinosauropteryx prima	Aptian	Yixian Formation	China	Three Specimens of Sinosauropteryx have been discovered to date, coloration is known from this dinosaur.
JMP-V-05-8-01 and CAGS-IG-T1		Sinocalliopteryx gigas	Aptian	Yixian Formation	China	Preserves extensive protofeathers on the body and tail
SMNK PAL 29241	Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe	Ubirajara jubatus	Aptian	Crato Formation	Brazil	The specimen is controversial in it legality, and it possesses feather “spikes” on its shoulders

Tyrannosauroidea

Nickname	Catalogue Number(s)	Institution(s)	Taxon	Age	Unit	Country(s)	Notes
	ZCDM V5000,^[12]	Zhucheng Dinosaur Museum and Erlianhaote Dinosaur Museum	Yutyrannus huali	Early Cretcaeous (Aptian; 120 mya)	Yixian Formation	China	Feathered
Bloody Mary		North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences	Tyrannosaurus rex	Maastrichtian	Hell Creek Formation
Wyrex		Houston Museum of Natural Science	Tyrannosaurus rex	Maastrichtian	Hell Creek Formation	USA	Fragment of skin on tail

Abelisaurs

Nickname	Catalogue Number(s)	Institution(s)	Taxon	Age	Unit	Country(s)	Notes	Images
	MACN-CH 894^[13]^[14]	Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales	Carnotaurus sastrei	Cretaceous	La Colonia Formation	Argentina	Skin impressions

Sauropodomorphs

Nickname	Catalogue Number(s)	Institution(s)	Taxon	Age	Unit	Country(s)	Notes	Images
none	MDS-2019-028^[15]		Diplodocus	Jurassic	Morrison Formation	Montana, United States
???	???	Royal Ontario Museum		Jurassic	Morrison Formation

References

^ Schweitzer, M.H. (2011). "Soft Tissue Preservation in Terrestrial Mesozoic Vertebrates". Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 39: 187–216. Bibcode:2011AREPS..39..187S. doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-040610-133502. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
^ Anderson, L.A. (2023). "A chemical framework for the preservation of fossil vertebrate cells and soft tissues". Earth-Science Reviews. 240: 104367. Bibcode:2023ESRv..24004367A. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104367. S2CID 257326012. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
^ Witton, Mark (2015-12-24). "Mark Witton.com Blog: Dinosaur scales: some thoughts for artists". Mark Witton.com Blog. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
^ ^a ^b Larson, P., Larson, M., Ott, C., & Bakker, R. (2007). Skinning a Triceratops. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 27(3), 104A.
^ "Leonardo". Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Field Station. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^ "World's Most Complete Mummified Dinosaur Moves into The World's Largest Children's Museum | The Children's Museum of Indianapolis". www.childrensmuseum.org. Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^ Benson, Rod. "Montana Earth Science Picture of the Week". formontana.net. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^ "Zuul, Destroyer of Shins". Royal Ontario Museum. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^ Tarlach, Gemma. "Meet Zuul crurivastator: I Ain't 'Fraid Of No Ankylosaur". Discover Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^ Arbour, Victoria M.; Evans, David C. (2017). "A new ankylosaurine dinosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana, USA, based on an exceptional skeleton with soft tissue preservation". Royal Society Open Science. 4 (5). Royal Society Publishing: 161086. Bibcode:2017RSOS....461086A. doi:10.1098/rsos.161086. PMC 5451805. PMID 28573004.
^ Greshko, Michael (2018-12-17). "New species of incredible 'living tank' dinosaur unveiled". National Geographic. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^ Xu, X.; Wang, K.; Zhang, K.; Ma, Q.; Xing, L.; Sullivan, C.; Hu, D.; Cheng, S.; Wang, S.; et al. (2012). "A gigantic feathered dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China" (PDF). Nature. 484 (7392): 92–95. Bibcode:2012Natur.484...92X. doi:10.1038/nature10906. PMID 22481363. S2CID 29689629. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2012.
^ Cerroni, M. A.; Canale, J. I.; Novas, F. E. (2020). "The skull of Carnotaurus sastrei Bonaparte 1985 revisited: insights from craniofacial bones, palate and lower jaw". Historical Biology. 33 (10): 2444–2485. doi:10.1080/08912963.2020.1802445. S2CID 225374445.
^ Hendrickx, Christophe; Bell, Phil R. (August 2021). "The scaly skin of the abelisaurid Carnotaurus sastrei (Theropoda: Ceratosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia". Cretaceous Research. 128: 104994. Bibcode:2021CrRes.12804994H. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104994.
^ Gallagher T, Poole J, Schein JP (2021). "Evidence of integumentary scale diversity in the Late Jurassic sauropod Diplodocus sp. from the Mother's Day Quarry, Montana". PeerJ. 9: e11202. doi:10.7717/peerj.11202. PMC 8098675. PMID 33986987.

[schweitzer2011-1] Schweitzer, M.H. (2011). "Soft Tissue Preservation in Terrestrial Mesozoic Vertebrates". Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 39: 187–216. Bibcode:2011AREPS..39..187S. doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-040610-133502. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.

[anderson2023-2] Anderson, L.A. (2023). "A chemical framework for the preservation of fossil vertebrate cells and soft tissues". Earth-Science Reviews. 240: 104367. Bibcode:2023ESRv..24004367A. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104367. S2CID 257326012. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.

[3] Witton, Mark (2015-12-24). "Mark Witton.com Blog: Dinosaur scales: some thoughts for artists". Mark Witton.com Blog. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-25.

[:0-4] Larson, P., Larson, M., Ott, C., & Bakker, R. (2007). Skinning a Triceratops. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 27(3), 104A.

[5] "Leonardo". Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Field Station. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

[6] "World's Most Complete Mummified Dinosaur Moves into The World's Largest Children's Museum | The Children's Museum of Indianapolis". www.childrensmuseum.org. Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

[7] Benson, Rod. "Montana Earth Science Picture of the Week". formontana.net. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

[8] "Zuul, Destroyer of Shins". Royal Ontario Museum. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

[9] Tarlach, Gemma. "Meet Zuul crurivastator: I Ain't 'Fraid Of No Ankylosaur". Discover Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

[10] Arbour, Victoria M.; Evans, David C. (2017). "A new ankylosaurine dinosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana, USA, based on an exceptional skeleton with soft tissue preservation". Royal Society Open Science. 4 (5). Royal Society Publishing: 161086. Bibcode:2017RSOS....461086A. doi:10.1098/rsos.161086. PMC 5451805. PMID 28573004.

[11] Greshko, Michael (2018-12-17). "New species of incredible 'living tank' dinosaur unveiled". National Geographic. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

[yutyrannus-12] Xu, X.; Wang, K.; Zhang, K.; Ma, Q.; Xing, L.; Sullivan, C.; Hu, D.; Cheng, S.; Wang, S.; et al. (2012). "A gigantic feathered dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China" (PDF). Nature. 484 (7392): 92–95. Bibcode:2012Natur.484...92X. doi:10.1038/nature10906. PMID 22481363. S2CID 29689629. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2012.

[Cerroni2020-13] Cerroni, M. A.; Canale, J. I.; Novas, F. E. (2020). "The skull of Carnotaurus sastrei Bonaparte 1985 revisited: insights from craniofacial bones, palate and lower jaw". Historical Biology. 33 (10): 2444–2485. doi:10.1080/08912963.2020.1802445. S2CID 225374445.

[14] Hendrickx, Christophe; Bell, Phil R. (August 2021). "The scaly skin of the abelisaurid Carnotaurus sastrei (Theropoda: Ceratosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia". Cretaceous Research. 128: 104994. Bibcode:2021CrRes.12804994H. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104994.

[15] Gallagher T, Poole J, Schein JP (2021). "Evidence of integumentary scale diversity in the Late Jurassic sauropod Diplodocus sp. from the Mother's Day Quarry, Montana". PeerJ. 9: e11202. doi:10.7717/peerj.11202. PMC 8098675. PMID 33986987.

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