DOI: 10.5061/dryad.q573n5tx4
title: Electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, & X-ray diffraction data from: Duck-billed dinosaur fleshy midline and hooves reveal terrestrial clay-template “mummification”

description: Two “mummies” of the end-Cretaceous, duck-billed dinosaur Edmontosaurus
 annectens preserve a fleshy crest over the neck and trunk, an
 interdigitating spike row over the hips and tail, and hooves capping the
 toes of the hind feet. A battery of tests shows that all the fossilized
 integument (skin, spike, hoof) are preserved as a thin (&lt; 1mm) clay
 template that formed on the surface of a buried carcass during decay prior
 to loss of all soft tissues and organic compounds. Unlike the underlying
 permineralized skeletal bone, the integument renderings of these “dinosaur
 mummies” are preserved as a thin external clay mask, a templating process
 documented previously only in anoxic marine settings.
description: # Electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, & X-ray
 diffraction data from: Duck-billed dinosaur fleshy midline and hooves
 reveal terrestrial clay-template “mummification” Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.q573n5tx4](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.q573n5tx4) ##
 Description of the data and file structure A .zip folder containing
 electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray
 diffraction raw supplemental data for: Paul C. Sereno *et al.*,
 Duck-billed dinosaur fleshy midline and hooves reveal terrestrial
 clay-template “mummification”. *Science*, DOI: 10.1126/science.adw3536.
 The authors allow for reuse of this data. #### **Electron microscopy,
 X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis of spikes in matrix**
 Thin sections of a block containing several mid caudal spikes of the early
 adult of *E. annectens* (UCRC PV30) were visualized under LM and subjected
 to BSE/EDS and XRD clay analysis (for analytical abbreviations, see the
 supplementary materials and table S11). Electron microscopy and elemental
 mapping used a TESCAN LYRA3 field-emission scanning electron microscope to
 examine the thin section from the posterior end of the spike with the
 region of interest demarcated using strips of copper tape. No coating was
 applied to the surface of the sample. A scintillator-type backscattered
 electron detector was used to image the sample using a 15 Kv beam.
 Elemental maps were produced by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy by
 raster imaging the slide with Oxford Instruments X-Max-80 silicon drift
 x-detectors. Resulting data were analyzed with Aztec software. In natural
 light, the clay template is slightly darker than adjacent sandstone
 matrix, whereas in CT images the clay layer appears denser (whiter) than
 adjacent matrix ([Fig.
 4A](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw3536#)). EDS shows
 aluminosilicate (Si, Al) enrichment of the template material, which is
 consistent with clay mineralogy. The absence of significant carbon ([Fig.
 4C](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw3536#)), sulfur,
 nitrogen, or phosphorous in the clay template suggests that original
 biomolecules, such as melanin, “keratin” (corneous beta-proteins), or
 collagen, or their breakdown products are absent. XRD analysis of the clay
 fraction (&lt; 2μm) from a powdered sample from a spike was performed at
 the Illinois State Geological Survey X-ray Diffraction (XRD) Laboratory at
 the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Particles were oriented and
 saturated by ethylene glycol. Basal diffraction intensities (d001) of
 these concentrated clays obtained from the oriented and ethylene glycol
 saturated films were compared to each other. The analysis was
 semiquantitatively calculated from major clay mineral intensities, finding
 the main clay component as kaolinite (54%). #### **X-ray diffraction of
 sediment** We analyzed the sediment in thin section from the mid caudal
 spike row of the early adult of *E. annectens* (UCRC PV30) (the
 supplementary materials and table S11). XRD bulk analysis was performed in
 the Illinois State Geological Survey X-ray Diffraction (XRD) Laboratory
 (UIUC) on a 150-micron thin section through the caudal spikes, centering a
 beam of 2.54 cm diameter on the external matrix immediately adjacent to
 the clay template. The semiquantitative results are based on the reference
 intensity ratio method using corundum as the reference standard. All phase
 intensities quantified were recalculated (normalized) using the ratio of
 Intensity~phase~/Intensity~corundum~. 
 
 ### Files and variables 
 
 #### File: Sereno_et_al_2025_Science_EM_EDS_XRD_Data.zip
 **Description:** zip folder containing two subfolders: 
 
 **Subfolder** "**EM/EDS**": Electron Microscopy/Energy
 Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy files. Note that .oipx are files opened by
 proprietary Aztec software. To increase accessibility, .tif and .png
 companion files are presented alongside the .oipx files.  
 
 \&gt;"**spike thin section**" - folder containing EM/EDS data
 for the tail spike thin section \&gt;&gt;"spike thin
 section.oipx": Project file for the tail spike thin section to be run
 on Aztec software. Contains all electron micrographs, elemental maps, and
 spectra. \&gt;&gt;"Al Kα1 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged Al
 map .tif file for the tail spike thin section. \&gt;&gt;"C Kα1_2
 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged C map .tif file for the tail spike
 thin section. \&gt;&gt;"Ca Kα1 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged
 Ca map .tif file for the tail spike thin section. \&gt;&gt;"Cl Kα1
 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged Cl map .tif file for the tail spike
 thin section. \&gt;&gt;"Cu Lα1,2 Montaged Map Data.tif":
 Montaged Cu map .tif file for the tail spike thin section.
 \&gt;&gt;"Electron Image 1276.tif": Montaged backscatter
 electron image .tif file for the tail spike thin section.
 \&gt;&gt;"Fe Kα1 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged Fe map .tif
 file for the tail spike thin section. \&gt;&gt;"K Kα1 Montaged Map
 Data.tif": Montaged K map .tif file for the tail spike thin section.
 \&gt;&gt;"Mg Kα1,2 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged Mg map .tif
 file for the tail spike thin section. \&gt;&gt;"Mn Kα1 Montaged Map
 Data.tif": Montaged Mn map .tif file for the tail spike thin section.
 \&gt;&gt;"Na Kα1,2 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged Na map .tif
 file for the tail spike thin section. \&gt;&gt;"O Kα1 Montaged Map
 Data.tif": Montaged O map .tif file for the tail spike thin section.
 \&gt;&gt;"P Kα1 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged P map .tif file
 for the tail spike thin section. \&gt;&gt;"S Kα1 Montaged Map
 Data.tif": Montaged S map .tif file for the tail spike thin section.
 \&gt;&gt;"Sc Kα1 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged Sc map .tif
 file for the tail spike thin section. \&gt;&gt;"Si Kα1 Montaged Map
 Data.tif": Montaged Si map .tif file for the tail spike thin section.
 \&gt;&gt;"Ti Kα1 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged Ti map .tif
 file for the tail spike thin section. This element may be misidentified.
 \&gt;&gt;"Zr Lα1 Montaged Map Data.tif": Montaged Zr map .tif
 file for the tail spike thin section. 
 
 \&gt;"**plant matter under tail**" - folder containing EM/EDS
 data for the fossil plant material under tail \&gt;&gt;"plant matter
 under tail.oipx": Project file for the fossil plant material under
 tail to be run on Aztec software. Contains all electron micrographs,
 elemental maps, and spectra. Note: beam voltage was 20 kV, rather than 15
 kV. \&gt;&gt;C K_alpha_1,2 Map Data 2.tif": C map .tif file for
 the fossil plant material under tail. \&gt;&gt;"Al K_alpha_1 Map Data
 2.tif": Al map .tif file for the fossil plant material under tail.
 \&gt;&gt;"Ca K_alpha_1 Map Data 2.tif": Ca map .tif file for
 the fossil plant material under tail. \&gt;&gt;"Electron Image
 6.png": Backscatter electron image .png file of the fossil plant
 material under tail. \&gt;&gt;"Fe K_alpha_1 Map Data 2.tif": Fe
 map .tif file for the fossil plant material under tail. \&gt;&gt;"Mg
 K_alpha_1,2 Map Data 2.tif": Mg map .tif file for the fossil plant
 material under tail. \&gt;&gt;"Na K_alpha_1,2 Map Data 2.tif":
 Na map .tif file for the fossil plant material under tail.
 \&gt;&gt;"O K_alpha_1 Map Data 2.tif": O map .tif file for
 the fossil plant material under tail. \&gt;&gt;"S K_alpha_1 Map Data
 2.tif": S map .tif file for the fossil plant material under tail.
 \&gt;&gt;"Si K_alpha_1 Map Data 2.tif": Si map .tif file for
 the fossil plant material under tail. \&gt;&gt;"Ti K_alpha_1 Map Data
 2.tif": Ti map .tif file for the fossil plant material under
 tail.This element may be misidentified. 
 
 \&gt;"**ironstone tail tip concretion**" & &gt;&gt;
 "**ironstone concretion redux at 30kv**" - nested folders
 containing exported files from Aztec software on the ironstone concretion
 at tail tip at three sites under 30 kV beam voltage, rather than 15 kV.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;"**site 1 30 kev**" - Folder with .tif and .bmp
 images of electron image, elemental maps, & spectra from site 1 on the
 ironstone concretion sample. Can be opened in various software.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"30kev ironstone conc redux site 1 redux
 spectrum.bmp": EDS spectrum of site 1 .bmp file.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Al K_alpha_1 Map Data 13.tif": Al map of site
 1 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"C K_alpha_1,2 Map Data 13.tif":
 C map of site 1 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Ca K_alpha_1 Map Data
 13.tif": Ca map of site 1 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"EDS
 Layered Image 13 Map Data 13.tif": Layered elemental maps of site 1
 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Electron Image 13 (BSE).tif":
 Backscatter electron image of site 1 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Fe
 K_alpha_1 Map Data 13.tif": Fe map of site 1 .tif file.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"K K_alpha_1 Map Data 13.tif": K map of site 1
 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Mg K_alpha_1,2 Map Data 13.tif":
 Mg map of site 1 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"O K_alpha_1 Map Data
 13.tif": O map of site 1 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"S
 K_alpha_1 Map Data 13.tif": S map of site 1 .tif file.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Si K_alpha_1 Map Data 13.tif": Si map of site
 1 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Ti K_alpha_1 Map Data 13.tif":
 Ti map of site 1 .tif file. This element may be misidentified. 
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;"**site 2 30 kev**" - Folder with .tif and .bmp
 images of electron image, elemental maps, & spectra from site 2 on the
 ironstone concretion sample. Can be opened in various software.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"ironstone conc 30kev redux site 2
 spectrum.bmp": EDS spectrum of site 2 .bmp file.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Al K_alpha_1 Map Data 14.tif": Al map of site
 2 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"C K_alpha_1,2 Map Data 14.tif":
 C map of site 2 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Ca K_alpha_1 Map Data
 14.tif": Ca map of site 2 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"EDS
 Layered Image 14 Map Data 14.tif": Layered elemental maps of site 2
 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Electron Image 14
 (BSE).tif": Backscatter electron image of site 2 .tif file.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Fe K_alpha_1 Map Data 14.tif": Fe map of site
 2 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"K K_alpha_1 Map Data 14.tif":
 K map of site 2 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Na K_alpha_1,2 Map Data
 14.tif": Na map of site 2 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"O
 K_alpha_1 Map Data 14.tif": O map of site 2 .tif file.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"S K_alpha_1 Map Data 14.tif": S map of site 2
 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Si K_alpha_1 Map Data 14.tif":
 Si map of site 2 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Ti K_alpha_1 Map Data
 14.tif": Ti map of site 2 .tif file. This element may be
 misidentified.  \&gt;&gt;&gt;"**site 3 30 kev**" - Folder with
 .tif and .bmp images of electron image, elemental maps, & spectra from
 site 3 on the ironstone concretion sample. Can be opened in various
 software. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"ironstone conc 30kev redux site 3
 spectrum.bmp": EDS spectrum of site 3 .bmp file.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Al K_alpha_1 Map Data 15.tif": Al map of site
 3 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"C K_alpha_1,2 Map Data 15.tif":
 C map of site 3 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Ca K_alpha_1 Map Data
 15.tif": Ca map of site 3 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"EDS
 Layered Image 15 Map Data 15.tif": Layered elemental maps of site 3
 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Electron Image 15
 (BSE).tif": Backscatter electron image of site 3 .tif file.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Fe K_alpha_1 Map Data 15.tif": Fe map of site
 3 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"K K_alpha_1 Map Data 15.tif":
 K map of site 3 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"O K_alpha_1,2 Map Data
 15.tif": O map of site 3 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"P
 K_alpha_1 Map Data 15.tif": P map of site 3 .tif file.
 \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"S K_alpha_1 Map Data 15.tif": S map of site 3
 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Si K_alpha_1 Map Data 15.tif":
 Si map of site 3 .tif file. \&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;"Ti K_alpha_1 Map Data
 15.tif": Ti map of site 3 .tif file. This element may be
 misidentified. 
 
 **Subfolder** "**XRD**": X-ray Diffraction files
 \&gt; Approximate XRD beam area on spike thin section_Laser Stimulated
 Flouresence image by Tom Kaye.png - shows location of XRD beam on spike
 thin section viewed with LSF \&gt; XD4951, A, XBP.xy - raw XRD data for
 spike thin section \&gt; XD4952, A, 2CLAY, GLY.xy - raw XRD data for spike
 powder clay analysis \&gt; XRD_XD4951_2024-03-04_Saitta.xlsx - summary
 table of the spike thin section XRD results \&gt;
 XRD_XD4952_2024-03-04_Saitta.xlsx - summary table of the spike powder XRD
 clay analysis 
 
 ## Access information Other publicly accessible locations of the data: *
 [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396909898_Sereno_et_al_2025_Science_Raw_EM_EDS_XRD_Datazip](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396909898_Sereno_et_al_2025_Science_Raw_EM_EDS_XRD_Datazip)