Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-11-07
A plNosAUR MUMMY.

The first dinosaur mummy showing
complete cast of the hitherto un-
known skin pattern will shortly be ex-
hibited by the museum Of Natural
History New York. This noteworthy
contribution, which is presented by
Prof Henry Fairfield Osborn, adds to
our knowledge Of very remarkable
group Of reptiles, huge herbivorous
creatures known popularity as duck
billed" dinosaurs. Hitherto the ma
ture of the skin of these great crea-
lures has been largely a matter of
conjecture. The mummy" dinosaur
was recently discovered by veteran
fossil hunter, Charles H. Sternberg
of Kansas, in Wyoming. In the pre-
sentation Of the life appearance Of
these dinosaurs by Charles r. Knight,
working under the direction of Prof.
Henry F. Osborn, the positions and
attitudes assumed by these animals
are strikingly shown.
Dinosaurs were among the most nu-
merous of the ancient inhabitants Of
Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas,
and fiourished some 100000 or more
years ago, during what is known, ac-
cording to geological reckoning, as
the Upper Cretaceous period, near
the close of the Age of Reptiles These
animals were almost entirely aquatic,
living and swimming in the deep in
land seas, rivers and lagoonS, which
covered d part of the western conti-
nent al this remote time. They were
from fifteen to sixteen feet or more In
height, and had length Of thirty
feet. The large head, nearly three
feet long by two feet wide, contained
terry of teeth the most marvellous and
highly specialized known. was used in
tearing up and munching the various
tender water plants and other soft
substances which grew on the beds OF
- anu rivers. The expanded, duck
bill mouth was covered by horny
mass or sheath. The simple teeth were
closely packed together, were rodlike
and single rooted, and we're arranged
like a mosaic pavement. The enamel
was only on one side. the inside in the
lower jaw and the outside In the up
per.
AS the teeth were worn away anoth-
er row appeared on the cutting sur
face and took the place of the OLD
ones. The theory that these animals
spent a large part Of their time in the
water is borne out by the fact that the
diminutive fore limb terminates In
marginal web which connects the Nm
gers with one another and forms
kind of paddle. The short. delicate
front feet were used as supports while
the beast was feeding on the shore.
The long, powerful tail was used prin-
cipally as an organ for swimming.
acting as a propeller, and also served
to balance the body when the animal
assumed a standing pose. The duck
bill" dinosaurs were not covered with
scales or a bony protecting armature'
but when pursued by their fierce land
living foe, tyrannosaurus, king OF the
flesh eating dinosaurs. found safety ny
swimming far out into deep water.
This specimen has been called a
"dinosaur mummy" from the fact that
in all parts of the animal which are
preserved except the hind legs and
tail which are missing, the skin Is
shrunken around the limbs, tightly
drawn around the bony surfaces and
contracted like a great curtain below
the chest area. Prof Henry F. Os-
born has suggested the following in
teresting theory Of the entombment
and preservation of the mummy" di-
nosaur. After dying a natural death
the animal was not attacked or preyed
upon by it's enemies, and the body lay
exposed to the sun and entirely undis-
turbed for a long time, perhaps upon
a broad sand fiat Of stream In the
low-watar stage. The muscles and Wis
cera thus became completely desicated
by the action of the sun. At the ter
minaton of a possible low-water sea-
son. during which the process of de-
siccation took place. the mummy
NAV have been caught in a sudden
flood carried down the stream, and
rapidly buried in a bed Of fine river
sand intermingled with sufficient ele-
ments of clay to take a perfect cast or
mold of all the skin markings before
any of the skin tissues had time to
soften under the solvent action OF the
water. In this way the markings were
indicated with distinctness.- -Harpers
Weekly