This list of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories enumerates those fossil dinosaur specimens that have been subjected to focused efforts aimed at reconstructing the events following the animal's death and the processes by which its remains were preserved in the fossil record.
Individual preserved in a resting posture with both forelimbs and hindlimbs folded and tucked underneath the torso. Feeding traces of invertebrates are also preserved on some elements.[1]
Individual preserving armor in life position, keratin sheaths, skin impressions, and stomach contents. The carcass was likely washed out to sea after death and buried in the seafloor.[2][3]
Exceptionally preserved articulated individual with skin impressions and armor in life position. The carcass was washed out to an aquatic setting, possibly a river channel, and buried.[4]
Exceptionally preserved individual with numerous soft tissue impressions and color pattern.[9][10][11][12][13][14] After death, its right arm was possibly scavenged by a Tianyulong.[15]
Well-preserved individual lying on its back with flexed limbs. After dehydration, the carcass likely was shortly buried by sediments transported by a river resulting in excellent preservation.[24][25]
Block of partially articulated juveniles. After an unknown case of death, the individuals decomposed during a wet summer season when they got buried by sediments transported by a river channel.[28]
^Mallon, J. C.; Henderson, D. M.; McDonough, C. M.; Loughry, W. J. (2018). "A bloat-and-float taphonomic model best explains the upside-down preservation of ankylosaurs". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 497: 117–127. Bibcode:2018PPP...497..117M. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.02.010.117-127&rft.date=2018&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.02.010&rft_id=info:bibcode/2018PPP...497..117M&rft.aulast=Mallon&rft.aufirst=J. C.&rft.au=Henderson, D. M.&rft.au=McDonough, C. M.&rft.au=Loughry, W. J.&rft_id=https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.palaeo.2018.02.010&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^Hedrick, B. P.; Gao Chunling; Omar, G. I.; Zhang Fengjiao; Shen Caizhi; Dodson, P. (2014). "The osteology and taphonomy of a Psittacosaurus bonebed assemblage of the Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Liaoning, China". Cretaceous Research. 51: 321–340. Bibcode:2014CrRes..51..321H. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.06.015.321-340&rft.date=2014&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.cretres.2014.06.015&rft_id=info:bibcode/2014CrRes..51..321H&rft.aulast=Hedrick&rft.aufirst=B. P.&rft.au=Gao Chunling&rft.au=Omar, G. I.&rft.au=Zhang Fengjiao&rft.au=Shen Caizhi&rft.au=Dodson, P.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^Mayr, G.; Peters, S. D.; Plodowski, G.; Vogel, O. (2002). "Bristle-like integumentary structures at the tail of the horned dinosaur Psittacosaurus"(PDF). Naturwissenschaften. 89 (8): 361–365. Bibcode:2002NW.....89..361M. doi:10.1007/s00114-002-0339-6. PMID12435037. S2CID17781405.361-365&rft.date=2002&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007/s00114-002-0339-6&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:17781405#id-name=S2CID&rft_id=info:pmid/12435037&rft_id=info:bibcode/2002NW.....89..361M&rft.aulast=Mayr&rft.aufirst=G.&rft.au=Peters, S. D.&rft.au=Plodowski, G.&rft.au=Vogel, O.&rft_id=http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/tmp/papers/gmayr43.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^Vinther, Jakob; Nicholls, Robert; Lautenschlager, Stephen; Pittman, Michael; Kaye, Thomas G.; Rayfield, Emily; Mayr, Gerard; Cuthill, Innes C. (2016). "3D Camouflage in an Ornithischian Dinosaur". Current Biology. 26 (18): 2456–2462. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.06.065. PMC5049543. PMID27641767.2456-2462&rft.date=2016&rft_id=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5049543#id-name=PMC&rft_id=info:pmid/27641767&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.cub.2016.06.065&rft.aulast=Vinther&rft.aufirst=Jakob&rft.au=Nicholls, Robert&rft.au=Lautenschlager, Stephen&rft.au=Pittman, Michael&rft.au=Kaye, Thomas G.&rft.au=Rayfield, Emily&rft.au=Mayr, Gerard&rft.au=Cuthill, Innes C.&rft_id=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5049543&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^Mayr, Gerald; Pittman, Michael; Saitta, Evan; Kaye, Thomas G.; Vinther, Jakob; Benson, Roger (2016). "Structure and homology of Psittacosaurus tail bristles". Palaeontology. 59 (6): 793–802. Bibcode:2016Palgy..59..793M. doi:10.1111/pala.12257. hdl:1983/029c668f-08b9-45f6-a0c5-30ce9256e593. S2CID89156313.793-802&rft.date=2016&rft_id=info:hdl/1983/029c668f-08b9-45f6-a0c5-30ce9256e593&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:89156313#id-name=S2CID&rft_id=info:doi/10.1111/pala.12257&rft_id=info:bibcode/2016Palgy..59..793M&rft.aulast=Mayr&rft.aufirst=Gerald&rft.au=Pittman, Michael&rft.au=Saitta, Evan&rft.au=Kaye, Thomas G.&rft.au=Vinther, Jakob&rft.au=Benson, Roger&rft_id=https://research-information.bristol.ac.uk/en/publications/structure-and-homology-of-psittacosaurus-tail-bristles(029c668f-08b9-45f6-a0c5-30ce9256e593).html&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^Bell, P. R.; Pittman, M.; Kaye, T. G.; Hendrickx, H. (2020). "A crocodylian-style cloaca in a non-avialan dinosaur". bioRxiv10.1101/2020.10.11.335398.
^Vinther, J.; Nicholls, R.; Kelly, D. A. (2021). "A cloacal opening in a non-avian dinosaur". Current Biology. 31 (4): R182 –R183. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.12.039. PMID33472049. S2CID231644183.R182 -R183&rft.date=2021&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:231644183#id-name=S2CID&rft_id=info:pmid/33472049&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.cub.2020.12.039&rft.aulast=Vinther&rft.aufirst=J.&rft.au=Nicholls, R.&rft.au=Kelly, D. A.&rft_id=https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cub.2020.12.039&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^Lingham-Soliar, T.; Plodowski, G. (2010). "The integument of Psittacosaurus from Liaoning Province, China: taphonomy, epidermal patterns and color of a ceratopsian dinosaur". Naturwissenschaften. 97 (5): 479–486. Bibcode:2010NW.....97..479L. doi:10.1007/s00114-010-0661-3. PMID20354675. S2CID11571835.479-486&rft.date=2010&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007/s00114-010-0661-3&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:11571835#id-name=S2CID&rft_id=info:pmid/20354675&rft_id=info:bibcode/2010NW.....97..479L&rft.aulast=Lingham-Soliar&rft.aufirst=T.&rft.au=Plodowski, G.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^ abBarsbold, R. (2016). "The Fighting Dinosaurs: The position of their bodies before and after death". Paleontological Journal. 50 (12): 1412−1417. doi:10.1134/S0031030116120042. S2CID90811750.
^Kirkland, J. I.; Bader, K. (2010). "Insect Trace Fossils Associated with Protoceratops Carcasses in the Djadokhta Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Mongolia". In Ryan, M. J.; Chinnery-Allgeier, B. J.; Eberth, D. A. (eds.). New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium. Indiana University Press. pp. 509–519. ISBN9780253353580. JSTORj.ctt16gzgng.509-519&rft.pub=Indiana University Press&rft.date=2010&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt16gzgng#id-name=JSTOR&rft.isbn=9780253353580&rft.aulast=Kirkland&rft.aufirst=J. I.&rft.au=Bader, K.&rft_id=https://www.academia.edu/228136&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^Murphy, Nate L.; Trexler, David; Thompson, Mark (2006). "Leonardo, a mummified Brachylophosaurus from the Judith River Formation". In Carpenter, Kenneth (ed.). Horns and Beaks: Ceratopsian and Ornithopod Dinosaurs. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. pp. 117−133. ISBN0-253-34817-X.
^Carpenter, Kenneth (2007). "How to make a fossil: Part 2 – Dinosaur Mummies and other soft tissue". The Journal of Paleontological Science: 5–14.5-14&rft.date=2007&rft.au=Carpenter, Kenneth&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^ abManning, Phillip Lars (2008). "Chapter four: Dinosaur Mummies". Grave secrets of dinosaurs: soft tissues and hard science. Washington, D. C.: National Geographic.
^Uhl, Dieter (2020). "A reappraisal of the stomach contents of the Edmontosaurus annectens mummy at the Senckenberg Naturmuseum in Frankfurt/Main (Germany)". Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften. 171 (1): 71–85. doi:10.1127/zdgg/2020/0224. S2CID216385262.71-85&rft.date=2020&rft_id=info:doi/10.1127/zdgg/2020/0224&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:216385262#id-name=S2CID&rft.aulast=Uhl&rft.aufirst=Dieter&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^Pasch, A. D., K. C. May. 2001. Taphonomy and paleoenvironment of hadrosaur (Dinosauria) from the Matanuska Formation (Turonian) in South-Central Alaska. In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life. Ed.s Tanke, D. H., Carpenter, K., Skrepnick, M. W. Indiana University Press. Pages 219-236.
^Norell, M. A.; Balanoff, A. M.; Barta, D. E.; Erickson, G. M. (2018). "A second specimen of Citipati osmolskae associated with a nest of eggs from Ukhaa Tolgod, Omnogov Aimag, Mongolia". American Museum Novitates (3899): 1–44. doi:10.1206/3899.1. hdl:2246/6858. S2CID53057001.1-44&rft.date=2018&rft_id=info:hdl/2246/6858&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:53057001#id-name=S2CID&rft_id=info:doi/10.1206/3899.1&rft.aulast=Norell&rft.aufirst=M. A.&rft.au=Balanoff, A. M.&rft.au=Barta, D. E.&rft.au=Erickson, G. M.&rft_id=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324784729&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:List of dinosaur specimens with documented taphonomic histories" class="Z3988">
^Osborn, H. F. (1924). "Three new Theropoda, Protoceratops zone, central Mongolia". American Museum Novitates (144): 1−12. hdl:2246/3223. OCLC40272928.
^Carpener, K. (1999). "Eggs as Fossils". Eggs, Nests, and Baby Dinosaurs: A Look at Dinosaur Reproduction (Life of the Past). Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 111. ISBN9780253334978.