Badlands Museum Specimen Fuels Global Study on Dinosaur Injuries

A specimen exhibited at the Badlands Dinosaur Museum in Dickinson, North Dakota, known as “Warwick’s Duck,” has gained international attention through its inclusion in a significant research paper. Authored by Filippo Bertozzo, Ph.D., this study investigates rear spinal injuries in “duckbilled” dinosaurs, or hadrosaurs, which are a prominent group of herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by the distinctive shape of their skulls.

The research analyzes spinal injuries in various hadrosaur specimens worldwide, establishing that these injuries may have resulted from mating activities. The findings suggest that male dinosaurs may have inadvertently caused harm to females during reproduction. According to a press release regarding the paper’s publication, “Statistics and computer simulation of bone stress led the international team of paleontologists to suggest that the bone fractures were caused by the male crushing the backbones of the female during mating.”

Research Significance and Future Implications

Co-authors Elizabeth Freedman-Fowler, dean of applied science at Dickinson State University, and her husband, Denver Fowler, curator of the Badlands Dinosaur Museum, discussed the implications of these findings with local media. They highlighted that the specimens exhibiting these injuries should predominantly be female, which could assist in differentiating between male and female dinosaurs.

Fowler noted, “All of the specimens that show this injury should be female, they should all show some of the features that we’re suggesting might be female.” He emphasized that while this research offers a promising avenue for identifying dinosaur sexes, further independent studies are required to substantiate these claims.

The specimen “Warwick’s Duck,” discovered by Fowler’s father, Warwick Fowler, in 2009, has been a focal point of this research. After becoming curator in 2016, Denver Fowler included it in an exhibit at the museum, showcasing one of the most remarkable examples of the hypothesized mating injuries seen in hadrosaur fossils.

A Collaborative International Effort

Interest in “Warwick’s Duck” grew rapidly, particularly from Darren Tanke of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Canada, who has been documenting similar injuries in fossils for years. Freedman-Fowler joined the research shortly after the initial exhibit, and the trio presented their findings at a paleontology conference in Dickinson in 2019. At that event, Bertozzo, then a doctoral student from Ireland, expressed enthusiasm about the specimen and its relevance to his PhD research.

Bertozzo’s investigation includes studies of similar specimens from various locations, including Russia. His research involved a collaborative effort with scientists from multiple countries, including Italy and the United Kingdom. The resulting paper was released on November 4, 2025, and is available online through iScience, an open-source scientific journal.

Visitors to the Badlands Dinosaur Museum can view “Warwick’s Duck” and explore further details about the museum’s exhibits and hours through its official website and social media channels. The ongoing research not only enhances understanding of dinosaur biology but also enriches the scientific community’s knowledge of these ancient creatures’ behavior and physiology.