Diplodocus scales, skin pattern, and coloration clues (video)
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Ben Creisler
Dec 9, 2025, 11:21:47 PM (8 days ago) Dec 9
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Ben Creisler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYTwE4IXYKQ
Royal Society Open Science has today published “Fossilized melanosomes reveal colour patterning of a sauropod dinosaur” by Tess Gallagher et al. (2025). In this video, Tess offers an exclusive first look at the findings, their implications, and what exceptionally preserved mineralised skin from a juvenile Diplodocus at the Mother’s Day Quarry (Late Jurassic, Morrison Formation, Montana) reveals about sauropod skin.
A new video--paper pending:
EXCLUSIVE: Evidence of Sauropod Colour Patterning and Exceptional Skin Preservation
People Are Fish
44 min.
People Are Fish
44 min.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYTwE4IXYKQ
Royal Society Open Science has today published “Fossilized melanosomes reveal colour patterning of a sauropod dinosaur” by Tess Gallagher et al. (2025). In this video, Tess offers an exclusive first look at the findings, their implications, and what exceptionally preserved mineralised skin from a juvenile Diplodocus at the Mother’s Day Quarry (Late Jurassic, Morrison Formation, Montana) reveals about sauropod skin.
Ben Creisler
Dec 10, 2025, 10:57:18 AM (8 days ago) Dec 10
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Ben Creisler
New paper now out:
Free pdf:
Tess Gallagher, Dan Folkes, Michael Pittman, Tom G. Kaye, Glen W. Storrs & Jason Schein (2025)
Fossilized melanosomes reveal colour patterning of a sauropod dinosaur
Royal Society Open Science 12(12): 251232
doi: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.251232
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/12/12/251232/364075/Fossilized-melanosomes-reveal-colour-patterning-of
Integumentary fossils have improved understanding of dinosaur physiology, appearance and ecological niches. Fossil melanin and fossil melanosome organelles that produced melanin have made it possible to reconstruct dinosaur colour patterns, evidencing fundamental but previously elusive behaviours like camouflage. However, the colouration of several important groups, including sauropods, is still unknown. Here, we propose the first evidence of colouration in a sauropod based on potential melanosome-bearing epidermal scales. The fossil skin originates from juvenile diplodocids from the Mother’s Day Quarry of the Morrison formation in Montana, USA. Scanning electron microscopy reveals two fossilized epidermal layers in the scales that vary in microbody and carbon density. Two distinct microbodies are grouped together and dispersed within the potential outermost epidermal layer. The first are oblong-shaped and interpreted as melanosomes. The nature of the second disc-shaped microbody is unclear, but their flat shape is reminiscent of platelet melanosomes, though they are smaller in size.
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doi: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.251232
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/12/12/251232/364075/Fossilized-melanosomes-reveal-colour-patterning-of
Integumentary fossils have improved understanding of dinosaur physiology, appearance and ecological niches. Fossil melanin and fossil melanosome organelles that produced melanin have made it possible to reconstruct dinosaur colour patterns, evidencing fundamental but previously elusive behaviours like camouflage. However, the colouration of several important groups, including sauropods, is still unknown. Here, we propose the first evidence of colouration in a sauropod based on potential melanosome-bearing epidermal scales. The fossil skin originates from juvenile diplodocids from the Mother’s Day Quarry of the Morrison formation in Montana, USA. Scanning electron microscopy reveals two fossilized epidermal layers in the scales that vary in microbody and carbon density. Two distinct microbodies are grouped together and dispersed within the potential outermost epidermal layer. The first are oblong-shaped and interpreted as melanosomes. The nature of the second disc-shaped microbody is unclear, but their flat shape is reminiscent of platelet melanosomes, though they are smaller in size.
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