Researchers scan most complete heterodontosaurus skeleton ever found
The ESRF had an extraordinary and ancient visitor this week: the most complete fossil skeleton ever found of the small plant-eating dinosaur, heterondontosaurus tucki, which roamed the earth 200 million years ago. This exceptional specimen was discovered in South Africa's Eastern Cape province and excavated by palaeontologist Billy de Klerk. Because the small skeleton is embedded in hard rock, attempts to extract the bones would cause irreparable damage. To study the dinosaur's anatomy, a team of scientists from the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, led by Professor Jonah Choiniere, has teamed up with palaeontologists at the ESRF to use the high-energy, high brilliance, wide X-rays produced to non-invasively reconstruct the skeleton in incredible detail.