or


[07/10/08 - 01:13 PM]
Discovery Channel to Unveil the 'Holy Grail' of Paleontology in 'Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy'
The one-hour high-definition special airs Sunday, September 14 at 9:00/8:00c.

[via press release from Discovery]

Discovery Channel to Unveil the 'Holy Grail' of Paleontology in 'SECRETS OF THE DINOSAUR MUMMY'

- Found Almost Fully Intact, 'Leonardo' Reveals How Dinosaurs Lived 77 Million Years Ago -

SILVER SPRING, Md., July 10 -- 'Leonardo' was found in Montana almost fully intact. Ninety percent of his body is covered in skin. We know what he ate for his last meal. What makes this so impressive? Leonardo is a 77 million year-old dinosaur. Discovery Channel reveals what is unquestionably one of the most unexpected and important dinosaur discoveries of all time in the one-hour high-definition special SECRETS OF THE DINOSAUR MUMMY, premiering Sunday, September 14 at 9 PM (ET/PT).

Discovered in 2000 by a team of amateur paleontologists exploring Malta, Montana, Leonardo -- named for graffiti found near his burial site -- is the first dinosaur mummy with intact digestive tract contents ever found. With this once-in-a-lifetime finding, scientists now have more than just bones to fully reconstruct how dinosaurs looked and lived. From the cause of death to Leonardo's last meal, scientific tests provide far more detail than the team of scientists ever expected. Skin impressions and actual fossilized samples of the digested food still inside the viscera, plus skin and joints, allow the team to create the first reconstruction of a giant dinosaur, accurate both inside and out.

"Discovery Channel has obtained exclusive access to what promises to be an extraordinary development in the history of paleontology -- a high-tech exploration deep into the body of a dinosaur that lived 77 million years ago," said John Ford, president and general manager of Discovery Channel. "It's a privilege to be able to document the amazing discoveries made possible by this perfectly intact dinosaur and share them with our viewers."

Leonardo is a young Brachylophosaurus, a four-legged plant-eating duck-billed dinosaur, the very first juvenile of the species discovered with extensive skin. He was approximately three to four years old when he died and would have been 20 feet long, weighing about 2,000 pounds.

From high-tech testing of Leonardo's remains, scientists have positively identified what a plant-eating dinosaur ate -- something that has never been done before. Leonardo's last meal consisted largely of leaves which included ferns, magnolias and conifers. Additional analysis has confirmed at least 40 different types of prehistoric plant pollen preserved in his stomach. Since most dinosaurs were herbivores, this find is an incredibly important step in learning more about the creatures' lives on the planet.

Another finding that was only possible due to Leonardo's intact remains is the strong evidence for a crop. Modern plant-eating birds have crops to aid in the digestion process, but there was no evidence of the possibility that dinosaurs may have also had crops until Leonardo was unearthed. This startling discovery has led to new theories of how these creatures lived.

Leonardo will be on display at The Houston Museum of Natural Science in a specially created exhibit -- Dinosaur Mummy CSI: Cretaceous Science Investigation -- beginning September 19, 2008.

SECRETS OF THE DINOSAUR MUMMY is directed and written by Michael Jorgensen and produced for Discovery Channel by MidCanada Entertainment and Myth Merchant Films. Wayne Sheldon is executive producer and Kevin Dunn is producer for MidCanada Entertainment. Carrie Gour is executive producer and Michael Jorgensen is producer for Myth Merchant films. For Discovery Channel, Paul Gasek is executive producer.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications is the world's number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit http://www.discoverycommunications.com.





  [july 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[08/26/25 - 12:06 PM]
FOX Sports Launches New FS1 Daily Studio Show "Wake Up Barstool"
Debuting Tuesday, September 2, the two-hour daily studio show airs live weekdays on FS1 from 8:00-10:00 AM ET, bringing Barstool's signature mix of unfiltered voices, candid personalities and passionate sports talk to fans nationwide.

[08/26/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of August 18: "KPop Demon Hunters" Reigns as Netflix's Most Popular Film, Claims No. 1 in Top 10
"Wednesday" stayed on top of the English TV list for a third week with Wednesday Season 2, Part 1 claiming another 13.4 million views.

[08/26/25 - 11:04 AM]
Video: MGM+ Debuts Action-Packed Trailer and Premiere Date for "Billy the Kid" Season 3
The final season premieres Sunday, September 28 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.

[08/26/25 - 11:00 AM]
Golden Globe and Emmy Award-Winner Camryn Manheim, Tyler Posey, Jamie Chung, Noah Reid and Sara Canning to Guest Star in FOX's Returning Captivating Crime Series "Murder in a Small Town"
The series returns Tuesday, September 23 on FOX.

[08/26/25 - 10:30 AM]
It's Time to Get Down to Business When NBC's New Series "On Brand with Jimmy Fallon" Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 10 P.M. ET/PT
The 10 creatives working to disrupt the marketing profession in NBC's newest innovative business competition series have been revealed.

[08/26/25 - 10:04 AM]
Hulu's Critically Acclaimed Comedy Series "Deli Boys" Renewed for a Second Season
Fred Armisen will join the cast as a legendary gambling savant with an uncanny ability to read people like cards.

[08/26/25 - 09:00 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Series "I Love LA," From Creator and Star Rachel Sennott, Debuts November 2
An ambitious friend group navigates life and love in LA.

[08/26/25 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Presents the Official Emmy Awards Pre-Show, "ET: Live on the Emmys Red Carpet"
Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner will bring audiences up close with television's biggest names as they arrive, turn heads with red carpet looks and reflect on what it means to be part of TV's most prestigious night.

[08/26/25 - 08:43 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Official Trailer & New Images for "Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy"
All eight episodes of the limited series will be available to stream October 16.

[08/26/25 - 08:24 AM]
"Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One": Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Draws ESPN's Second-Largest Audience of MLB Season: 2,572,000 Viewers
The game peaked with 2,889,000 viewers at 8:15 p.m. ET, according to Nielsen.

[08/26/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix's Upcoming Preschool Slate Featuring New "Ms. Rachel," The "Sesame Street" Date Announcement, New Games, and More!
Start the school year off with all of your kids' favorite friends on Netflix with all-new episodes from "Ms. Rachel" (September 1), "Sesame Street" (November 10), "Gabby's Dollhouse" (November 17) and so much more on Netflix.

[08/26/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "The Lowdown" - Official Trailer - Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Keith David - FX
The series follows the gritty exploits of citizen journalist Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), a self-proclaimed Tulsa "truthstorian" whose obsession with the truth is always getting him into trouble.

[08/26/25 - 07:33 AM]
BBC and Showtime Reveal First Look Images from Season Two of "Dreaming Whilst Black" from A24 and Big Deal Films
The new season finds Kwabena at the start of his professional career in a new era: the age of diversity, equity and inclusion, where empowering marginalized voices are seemingly at the top of everyone's agenda.

[08/26/25 - 07:10 AM]
ESPN Reveals 2025-26 College Football Commentator Roster; Top Teams Return for Another Season
The network will deploy more than two dozen teams of commentators, analysts and reporters to cover the season from August's Week 0 kickoff through the College Football Playoff National Championship in Miami in January 2026.

[08/26/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Unveils Trailer for the Engrossing Investigative Thriller "The Savant"
The eight-episode thriller will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, September 26 followed by one new episode every Friday through November 7.