This fossil attracted the attention of scientists for two reasons. First of all, the animal, if you believe in dating, lived before the appearance of dinosaurs. Secondly, it is so well preserved that traces of not only bones but also soft tissues can be seen on the stone at its intravital borders. Apart from this fossil, scientists have not found any other individual or similar species of Tridentinosaurus antiquus. Now we know why.

Masterful forgery

According to a new and careful analysis, this soft tissue is not soft tissue at all. This is paint. The discovery was made by a team from University College Cork while investigating the unusual remains.

At first glance, the fossil seemed a bit strange to me. My other colleagues said they had the same reaction. But fossils are always a little strange, so I continued my research. After analyzing microsamples of what appeared to be body contours (i.e. skin) I realized this didn’t make sense. Molecular analysis eventually confirmed that we were dealing with black dye, not soft tissue.
– says Valentina Rossi, head of the study.

Tridentinosaurus has long become a famous fossil among scientists. Soft tissues are rarely spared; They often decay before long fossilization processes can record their traces. If preserved, they can tell a lot about the animal they belong to. For example, about the color and texture of the skin or the location and anatomy of internal organs.

Scientists have theorized about how Tridentinosaurus’ soft tissues were preserved, but no one has examined the skin in detail. So Rossi and his colleagues decided to take a closer look at it. The team used a combination of energy-dispersive spectroscopy, micro-X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy combined with infrared spectroscopy to analyze the dark material believed to be charred skin.

They compared their results with various materials. It turned out that the sample was not an organic material, but an artificial bone black pigment often found in ancient paintings. The discovery was extremely unexpected and left the researchers quite stunned. But there is also a positive side to this.

I think I can honestly say we were all a little surprised and saddened. But we realized that this was a glimpse into the history of paleontology. Today, we can rely on powerful technologies that allow us to look at fossils at the molecular level, which was impossible even 10 years ago.
– adds Rossi.

one “but”

However, scientists also state that: Some parts of the fossil are real. The back bones of the legs on which the skin is painted are real, especially the thigh bones. Although a 3D image would be helpful, it would be difficult to examine these bones beneath the paint.

This means researchers can try to understand the true Tridentinosaurus even by comparing it to other fossils that may have previously been dismissed as too different to represent the same species or genus.

Paleontologists may also return to the site where the fossil was found to find new specimens, perhaps in better condition.

The question of whether Who made this drawing, when and for what?