Enjoy 3 FREE National Geographic magazines and be part of the movement for a more sustainable world. MORE INFO Enjoy our special editions at a single price for being a subscriber. DISCOVER THEMA group of researchers from the University of Reading has begun to unearth the fossil of a hadrosaur in the Dinosaur Provincial Park (Alberta, Canada). It is a juvenile specimen that can provide a lot of valuable information, since the find includes fragments of fossilized skin and, according to the researchers, the complete skeleton of the dinosaur could be found inside the rock. The find occurred in 2021, when a volunteer spotted part of what appeared to be a fossil skeleton on a hillside. This year the first campaign has been carried out, which has brought to light a large part of the animal’s tail and the right hind leg. The researchers explain that the complete extraction of the skeleton can take several months and even entire campaigns; which would actually be good news as it would mean there is more to be found. The fossil has skin fragments and could contain the entire skeleton. Due to the orientation of the fossil, towards the interior of the hill, the researchers are hopeful that being able to find the rest of the skeleton – especially the skull, which would allow the exact species to be identified – which would be a very rare find. Another exceptional factor is the fact that the fossil preserves large parts of fossilized skin on the skeleton, which would go a long way in reconstructing the appearance of this dinosaur. “This is a very exciting discovery and we hope to complete the excavation during the next two seasons of field,” explains Dr. Brian Pickles of the University of Reading, who is leading the excavation. “Based on the small size of the tail and foot, it is likely to be a juvenile. Although adult duck-billed dinosaurs are well represented in the fossil record, younger animals are much less common. This means the find could help paleontologists understand how hadrosaurs grew and developed.” More information A second meteorite hit the coast of Guinea at the time the dinosaurs became extinct More information The best images of #TuFotoNatGeo from August 27 to September 2