[asa] X-rays of a duck-billed dinosaur

There is a fascinating article today in the Billings Gazette about the
early results of using x-rays to study a remarkably well preserved
brachylophosaurus known as "Leonardo" at the Judith River Dinosaur
Institute in Malta, MT.

Full article at <
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/06/22/news/state/25-dino.txt?rating=true
>

Some selected quotes:

----
[Nate] Murphy has seen wonderful things this week inside the fossilized 
remains of Leonardo, the 77-million-year-old duck-billed dinosaur he 
discovered north of Malta six years ago. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 
of this week, Murphy and a team of about 20 experts used 
industrial-strength X-ray equipment to peer into what has been described 
as the best preserved dinosaur ever found.
----
One of the researchers in Malta this week is Robert T. Bakker, best known 
for being the first paleontologist to hypothesize that dinosaurs were 
warm-blooded animals. Bakker, visiting curator of paleontology at the 
Houston Museum of Natural History, said there is still much to be learned 
from the images of Leonardo, but what has been revealed already is "pretty 
spectacular."
----
With Leonardo, they have been looking into his gut, and they have seen the 
fossilized remains of plants.  "The stuff is in there and it's 
recoverable," Bakker said. "You can take testimony from Leonardo's gut."
----
The sand preserved Leonardo nearly whole and in three-dimensional shape, 
unlike most fossils that have been flattened. Leonardo was so 
well-preserved that his fossilized skeleton was sheathed with the imprint 
of its soft tissue ....
---
In addition to the images of Leonardo's gut, Bakker said, the most 
exciting finds have been detailed glimpses of the interior structure of 
the creature's beak and a look at its crop -- similar to a goose's crop, 
Bakker said -- where food is stored in the gullet before it is digested. 
Later on, they hope to capture images of Leonardo's internal organs.
Murphy said so little is known for sure about dinosaurs that what will be 
revealed by Leonardo is powerfully exciting.  "We've got so much new 
information now," he said. "Leonardo is going to give us some absolutes."
----
Steve
_____________
 Steven M. Smith, Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey
 Box 25046, M.S. 973, DFC, Denver, CO  80225
 Office: (303)236-1192, Fax: (303)236-3200
 Email: smsmith@usgs.gov
 -USGS Nat'l Geochem. Database NURE HSSR Web Site-
  http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/
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