By Tim Binnall
Scientists studying a fossil site in North Dakota unearthed a leg believed to be from a dinosaur that actually died on the day of the infamous asteroid strike blamed for wiping out the monstrous creatures. The amazing discovery was reportedly made by researchers working on a BBC documentary centered around the fateful turn of events which spelled the end of the dinosaurs' dominion over the planet. During an excavation at the fossil-rich location known as Tanis, the team found what they describe as a "perfectly preserved" thescelosaurus limb that, remarkably, still contained some of the creature's skin.
This material allowed scientists to determine that the leg dates back to 66 million years ago, when a massive asteroid struck the planet and set into motion the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. Alongside the remarkable limb, researchers also found evidence of fish that died of sudden suffocation from debris thought to have come from the event as well as some pieces of the enormous space rock that walloped the Earth. "It's absolutely bonkers," marveled natural history professor Phillip Manning, who is working on the program, "the time resolution we can achieve at this site is beyond our wildest dreams."
Making the case for why they believe that the thescelosaurus specifically died due to the asteroid strike, the scientists noted that the leg appears to have been "ripped off really quickly" and that there is no evidence of disease nor any sign of scavengers having gotten to it. "The best idea that we have is that this is an animal that died more or less instantaneously," explained Professor Paul Barrett from London's Natural History Museum. Presumably, the researchers will further elucidate their theory in a peer-reviewed scientific paper outlining the stunning discovery sometime in the future. However, in a testament to our modern media culture, the team's research and findings will first be showcased in the documentary set to air on the BBC next week.