The Edmontosaurus mummy in the American Museum of Natural History is an exceptionally well-preserved fossil of a dinosaur, the first found to include a skeleton encased in skin impressions; almost two-thirds of the skin is preserved. Discovered in 1908 in the United States near Lusk, Wyoming, it is ascribed to the species Edmontosaurus annectens, a hadrosaurid (duck-billed dinosaur). It was discovered lying on its back, its neck twisted backwards and its forelimbs outstretched. After dehydration and burial of the carcass, bacteria consolidated the surrounding sediments, resulting in its excellent preservation. Skin impressions found in between the fingers were once interpreted as evidence for an aquatic lifestyle. The mummy was found by fossil hunter Charles Hazelius Sternberg and his three sons in the Lance Formation. Although Sternberg was working under contract to the British Museum of Natural History, Henry Fairfield Osborn managed to secure the mummy for the American museum.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmontosaurus_mummy_AMNH_5060

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1869:

Jay Gould, James Fisk and other speculators plotted but failed to control the gold market in the U.S., causing gold prices to plummet on "Black Friday". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_%281869%29

1911:

His Majesty's Airship No. 1, Britain's first rigid airship, was wrecked by strong winds before her maiden flight at Barrow-in-Furness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMA_No._1

1946:

Cathay Pacific (aircraft pictured), the de facto international flag carrier of Hong Kong, was founded by Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathay_Pacific

1975:

Dougal Haston and Doug Scott on the Southwest Face expedition became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest by ascending one of its faces. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_British_Mount_Everest_Southwest_Face_expedition

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

mercurial: 1. (comparable) Having a lively or volatile character; animated, changeable, quick-witted. 2. (not comparable, astrology) Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mercury; having the characteristics of a person under such influence (see adjective sense 1). 3. (not comparable, astronomy) Pertaining to the planet Mercury. 4. (not comparable, chemistry) Of or pertaining to the element mercury or quicksilver; containing mercury. 5. (not comparable, medicine) Caused by the action of mercury or a mercury compound. 6. (not comparable, Roman mythology) Pertaining to Mercury, the Roman god of, among other things, commerce, financial gain, communication, and thieves and trickery; hence (comparable), money-making; crafty. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mercurial

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

First you use machines, then you wear machines, and then ...? Then you serve machines.   --John Brunner https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Brunner