Borealopelta markmitchelli

Overview

Borealopelta, meaning "northern shield," is one of the best-preserved dinosaur fossils ever discovered—so perfect that scientists could even determine what color it was! Found accidentally in a Canadian mine in 2011, this 110-million-year-old armored dinosaur looks like it could wake up and walk away!

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Taxonomy & Classification

• Clade: Thyreophora
• Family: Nodosauridae (armored dinosaurs without tail clubs)
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Locomotion: Quadrupedal

Borealopelta was a nodosaur, NOT an ankylosaur—it had no tail club!

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Physical Characteristics

Tank-Like Herbivore

• Length: About 5.5 meters (18 feet)
• Weight: Approximately 1,300 kg (2,900 lbs)
• Height: About 1.5 meters (5 feet)
• Build: Wide, low, heavily armored

Incredible Armor

• Bony plates (osteoderms) covered entire body
• Large shoulder spines pointing outward
• Keeled scales in rows along the back
• Even the belly had some protection!
• Armor made of bone covered in keratin

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The "Dinosaur Mummy"

Why This Fossil Is So Special

The Borealopelta fossil is extraordinary:

• Preserved in 3D, not flattened
• Skin and scales still visible!
• Some soft tissue preserved
• Stomach contents identifiable
• Can see original coloring!
• One of the most complete dinosaurs ever found

How It Was Preserved

• Died and fell into a river
• Floated out to sea
• Sank and was quickly buried
• Bacteria replaced tissues with minerals
• Stayed protected for 110 million years!

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We Know Its Color!

First Dinosaur With Known Colors

Scientists determined Borealopelta was:

• Reddish-brown on top
• Lighter on the underside
• This is called countershading!
• Same pattern as modern deer and antelope

Why Countershading?

• Made the dinosaur harder to see
• Predators couldn't judge size and distance
• Proves armored dinosaurs still feared predators!
• Even tanks need camouflage

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Last Meal Discovered!

Stomach Contents

Scientists found inside:

• Fern leaves (main food)
• Charcoal bits (from forest fires!)
• Cycad material
• Shows it was a picky eater
• Preferred certain fern species

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Discovery Story

Found by Accident!

• Discovered in 2011 in Alberta, Canada
• Found in the Suncor Millennium Mine
• Heavy equipment operator Shawn Funk spotted it
• It took 6 years to prepare the fossil!
• Technician Mark Mitchell spent 7,000 hours on it
• Named after Mark: "markmitchelli"

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The Shoulder Spines

Impressive Weapons

Borealopelta had dramatic spines:

• Two large spines on each shoulder
• Up to 50 cm (20 inches) long!
• Covered in keratin (like rhino horns)
• Probably for defense against predators
• Also for display to rivals

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Cretaceous Canada

Where It Lived

110 million years ago:

• Alberta was covered by inland sea
• Borealopelta lived along the western shore
• Warm, humid climate
• Fern forests and coastal plains
• Alongside early tyrannosaurs

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Cool Facts

• Called the "Mona Lisa of dinosaurs" for its preservation!
• Took 7,000 hours to prepare—about 4 years of work!
• Scientists found pigments preserved in the skin
• The fossil weighs 1,100 kg (2,500 lbs) with the rock!
• First dinosaur with confirmed countershading
• Found while mining for oil sands
• Now displayed at the Royal Tyrrell Museum
• Shows dinosaurs still hid from predators despite being armored!

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Borealopelta is a window into the past like no other—a dinosaur so perfectly preserved that we can see its colors, its last meal, and imagine it walking through ancient forests!