A Sleeping Dragon is the subject of recent research that primarily aims to uncover a preserved Nodosaur, which protected itself from the marauding meat-eaters for years. The stunning fossil that appeared like a life-like mummy was presented by the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta, Canada in May.

The features of Nodosaur preserved in amazing details.

The Sleeping Dragon details in its stomach a plate-like armor that is well preserved for years, including an intricate thin organic film that covered its body. According to reports, scientists have studied the film and discovered that the dinosaur may have had a reddish color on its top.

The said findings have been published in the journal Current Biology.

According to the study’s findings, the creature apparently fell on its back into the ocean’s muddy floor right after it died. Through the years, nature appeared to have preserved the top half with close to intact details. According to the Curator of Dinosaurs Donald Henderson, the creature appeared almost the same as it did during the Early Cretaceous. He even noted that he is positive that the dinosaur will be known in the history of science as one of the best-preserved dinosaur specimens.

The accidental discovery of the Sleeping Dragon in 2011 has led scientists to study the creature with an aim to uncover the details of its life and physical features for the world to appreciate.

Based on the research, the black film that was found on top of the nodosaur was made up of elements that closely resembled red pigmentation. The scientists revealed that the film was red on the top while pale on the underside.

While these scientists claim that they have proof to show the detail, some do not agree with the findings that the Sleeping Dragon indeed sport a red coloration.

According to Alison Moyer of the Drexel University, the organic film on the well-preserved creature may have been due to the bacteria that resulted from the decaying corpse following death. Moyer, who studies fossilized tissue, also believed that the creature’s underside may have been in its same original color, given that the preserved hide does not reach the belly, UPI reported.

The preserved creature fought to survive.

A study on the creature’s skin revealed that it may have experienced the threat from several meat-eating dinosaurs, although it was covered in armor and was like a walking tank. The findings were based on the subject’s shielding strategy called counter-shading. The same fighting mechanism is also used by modern-day animals. The creature’s pigmentation pattern has helped to blend in with the environment whenever a taller predator approaches.
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