Brachylophosaurus (meaning “short-crested lizard”) was an unusual and fascinating 36-foot long duck-billed dinosaur known for the distinctive flat, bony crest which sometimes covered its entire skull and gave it its name, and its mysteriously long arms. Almost all the dinosaur remains that survive the geological forces and time that enact upon them are bones and fragments of bones. For soft body parts such as skin to survive the fossilization process is incredibly rare, and provides us with a glimpse into the textural appearance of these mighty and long lost animals.

The Judith River Formation, a Late Cretaceous geologic formation in north-central Montana, has one of the most diverse and best-preserved dinosaur faunas in the world. It is known for the exceptional specimens it has yielded, such as the mummified “Leonardo” Brachylophosaurus, as well as for producing the first dinosaur remains ever found in North America. In 1855, whilst conducting a survey around the Upper Missouri River, geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden (1829-1887) came across many fossilized teeth and bones in what would later be known as the Judith River Formation.