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66-Million-Year-Old 'Dinosaur Mummy' — Edmontosaurus 'Medusa' Arrives at Winona State for Study

08:23 PM, 12/06/2025

Winona State University has received a near-complete Edmontosaurus fossil nicknamed Medusa, dating to about 66 million years ago. Found in the North Dakota badlands by a university alumnus, the nearly 7,000-pound specimen may preserve skin and soft tissue — a very rare occurrence. Medusa required a window removal to be installed in the Science Laboratory Center and will be studied to reveal anatomical details and local environmental changes at the end of the Cretaceous.

Winona State University Begins Study of Rare 'Dinosaur Mummy'

Winona State University has taken custody of an exceptionally well-preserved Edmontosaurus fossil — nicknamed Medusa — that dates to roughly 66 million years ago. The specimen, discovered in the badlands of North Dakota by a Winona State alumnus, may include preserved skin and soft tissues, a preservation state so uncommon that paleontologists often refer to such finds as "dinosaur mummies."

University officials say Medusa arrived on campus Thursday and weighs nearly 7,000 pounds. The fossil was too large to fit through the Science Laboratory Center's doors, so staff temporarily removed a window to move it into the laboratory for study.

Researchers will examine any preserved soft tissues and skin impressions to gain anatomical details that bone alone cannot provide. In addition, scientists will analyze the sediments and matrix surrounding the fossil to reconstruct local environmental conditions and how they may have changed during the animal's life at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Because fossils that retain soft tissue are extremely rare worldwide, Medusa has drawn broad paleontological interest. Winona State announced the specimen's arrival and the planned research in an official university press release.

Why it matters: Well-preserved soft tissues can reveal details about dinosaur skin structure, muscle arrangement and biology, and provide context for regional environmental change about 66 million years ago.

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