They have been able to infer colors like black and reddish brown. We have fossil feathers with preserved melanosomes that show black and white patterns, like Anchiornis. Iridescent black coloring was also detected in Microraptor, similar to modern crows!
Fossil Friday fact: not every fossil gets a plaster jacket!
Smaller fossils are often wrapped in foil packs; aluminum foil, tape, and a label to keep everything together and protected until it reaches the lab.
Simple, but effective!
Dinosaur reconstruction: J. Robins
SEM image: University of Bristol
Some fossils preserve microscopic structures called melanosomes. By studying their shape and arrangement, scientists can sometimes infer the colors of ancient animals.
So do we! The first thing we tell people when teaching them how to find fossils is "Look for anything out of the ordinary". And it helps so much!
Every fossil discovery starts with someone paying attention to the little details in the rock.
Your classroom this summer: a dinosaur dig in Montana!
Our field paleontology course is a hands-on, college credit field course. Only 4 spots remain!
Details are live on our site: elevationscience.org/college-stud...
Fossil preparation is where a lot of real discovery happens, removing rock bit by bit until the fossil reveals itself.
Elevation Science is turning 9!
Nine years of fieldwork, research, mentorship, and discovery.
Thank you to everyone who's dug, donated, learned, and supported along the way. If you'd like to celebrate with us, we'd love your support!
elevationscience.org/donate
This seems like a great moment to talk about the importance of science communication!
Science communication matters because it connects scientific research with people, giving folks information they need to make informed decisions about everything from health to hazards.
Figure 2: Three-dimensional model rendering from CT data for MOR 1627. (A) Left lateral view of entire skull with close-up (D) of the embedded tooth. (B) Dorsal view of entire skull with close-up (E) of the embedded tooth. (C) Anterior view of entire skull with close-up (F) of the embedded tooth. Dashed lines indicate the specimen midline. (Wyenberg-Henzler & Scannella, 2026)
New behavioral #paleontology paper out today about tyrannosaur predation! The authors (Wyenberg-Henzler & Scannella) contend that the find is "consistent with a bite inflicted during an attempt to control the struggling Edmontosaurus or deliver a killing blow followed by carcass consumption". Nice!
The desert is dusty,
the fossils are too.
Happy Valentine's Day,
from Elevation Science to you. 💕
Celebrating Intl Day of Women & Girls in Science with a nod to our STEEM (science, technology, engineering, environment & math) Summer Campers! www.montananaturalist.org/summer-camps/
Happy International Women and Girls in Science Day!
Proud to work alongside so many brilliant women, past and present, and excited for the future scientists who will shape what comes next.
This is why we do this.
Real science, shared with real people.
Maybe a bit late for web timing, but ehy, NEW PAPER ON #fossilfriday!!!
I am proud to present you Haolong dongi gen. nov. sp. nov., a new hadrosauroid from the Early Cretaceous of China!
The specimen, almost complete, is a juvenile iguanodontian from the Yixian Formation of the Barremian (125 Mya).
"Move over Pachycephalosaurus, there's a new headbutting dinosaur from late Cretaceous western North America!"
#Dinosaurs #Paleontology #Mexico
Illustration of Haolong dongi with Laura Dern for scale (the animal is about the size of a large dog or a minature pony)
Haolong dongi shown alongside the fossil with various close-ups of the preserved skin from Huang et al. 2026.
The new iguanodont with novel skin coverings. In addition to the large scute-like scales on the tail, the body is covered with what the author's describe as "spikes". The largest ones are about 4 cm long but almost a cm thick, resembling short quills. The smaller ones are hair or eyelash-like.
Hands-on science experiences are some of the most memorable, especially for families.
We’re excited for Dinosaur Discovery Days and the chance to help people connect with fossils, Earth history, and real paleontology.
There really is nothing like seeing something no one else has ever laid eyes on!
One of the best things about fieldwork is how it slows you down; you learn to notice small details that most people walk right past.
Sometimes, the unglamorous parts of science are the ones that teach us the most...
Like how to dig a drainage trench to keep the rainwater away!
What is prospecting?
In paleontology, prospecting means carefully scanning and exploring the landscape for fossils exposed at the surface. Several of our active dig sites were first discovered this way by participants, proof that just being observant can lead to real scientific discoveries!
Awesome new blog post about our latest research paper! 🦕
Paleo Bites Episode 4: Types of Fossilization (Part Two)
In this episode of Paleo Bites, we explore some of the more rare preservation pathways; soft-tissue fossils, amber, freezing, and natural asphalt.
Diagram showing the evolution of jaw joint structure across archosaurian reptiles, especially coelurosaurian theropods (including birds).
Evolution of the avian jaw joint and middle ear: bioone.org/journals/zoo... 🪶🧪 (📷Watanabe et al.)
Our window for scholarship applications closes February 5th! Apply today and join us for fun and nature this summer!
Learn more: www.montananaturalist.org/summer-camps/
#MNHCcamps #summercamps #scholarships
🚨Our new study is out! We've put AI to good use, to classify and identify dinosaur footprints!
Dinosaur footprints are more common than bones. But to figure out which dinosaur made a track, we need to do the Cinderella thing, and match a footprint to a foot. And that's hard.
Big news! 🎉
The David B. Jones Foundation has fully funded our field internship program for the next five years, the largest foundation grant in Elevation Science history! This support ensures long-term, hands-on field training for future paleontologists. We're incredibly grateful!
