Laydown December 4, 2007 Watch Phil on Good Morning America December 6, 2007 Watch Phil and Tyler in "Dino Autopsy" National Geographic Channel World Premiere December 9, 2007
Press Release
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A teenage dino-hunter makes a ground-breaking discovery in Hell Creek, North Dakota . . .

A dinosaur enthusiast since birth – Tyler Lyson grew up scouring his uncle’s ranch in North Dakota for fossils. While still a teenager, he found something that would change the face of paleontology forever – a hadrosaur dinomummy dating back 65 million years.

Much more than bones, Tyler discovered a mummified dinosaur – a rare specimen containing fossilized soft tissue. He contacted celebrated paleontologist Dr. Phil Manning, and together, they named the dinosaur “Dakota” and started an extensive excavation. Using state-of-the-art technology and a team of experts, they transported portions of the specimen to labs for closer study. Their research continues today.

Dinomummy is the story of one of the century's most important dinosaur finds. Dr. Manning takes readers back in time to the flood plains of Hell Creek during the late Crustaceous period when Dakota lived alongside dinosaurs such as Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Facts about Dakota:

• This is the most important and complete mummified dinosaur ever discovered.
• Because Dakota is not just a skeleton, scientists can determine its live weight and actual size – something they have never done before.
• The presence of soft-tissue anatomy, including muscles, provides scientists with information about how this hadrosaur moved and offers clues about the locomotion of other dinosaurs.

Full of scientific facts, photographs, and illustrations, Dinomummy is as educational as it is entertaining. Moreover, it is an inspirational story about how one child’s passion lead to a great scientific discovery.