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It’s the ultimate prehistoric time capsule—and we’re about to unlock it. The New York State Museum is thrilled to announce its partnership with Albany Medical Center to look inside two of its most awe-inspiring artifacts, including a 70–80 million-year-old dinosaur egg that has captivated tour groups and young learners for years.

Believed to be from a Hadrosaur—a duck-billed dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period—the egg likely originates from Asia. Roughly the size of a cantaloupe and weighing seven pounds, this fossilized relic has the potential to teach us specific details of the early life of these amazing, extinct creatures, known to have also lived in the Northeastern United States – forging a link between this fossil and our region’s ancient past.  

Dr. Robert Feranec, Director of Research and Collections and Curator of Pleistocene Vertebrate Paleontology, said, “While the New York State Museum’s collections contain countless rare artifacts and specimens, there is perhaps none that holds more mysteries to us as the dinosaur egg. Regularly, we are asked, ‘Is there a baby inside?’ Partnering with Albany Medical Center provides us the opportunity to see below the egg’s surface for the first time to answer that question and further our understanding of this incredibly unique specimen stewarded within the Museum’s collections. This analysis could hold information about dinosaur reproduction and embryonic development, for this group of dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous. We are deeply grateful to Albany Medical Center for their partnership and enthusiasm in helping to bring science to life.”  

Dominic Zanello, Manager of CT Scan and MRI at Albany Medical Center, said, “Our state-of-the-art imaging supports the best patient care, and as an academic medical center, community partnerships such as those centered around research and discovery are important to our mission. Our 256-slice CT technology—the most advanced imaging capability available in the region—provides three dimensional cross-sections of the artifacts, allowing us to see what’s invisible to the naked eye—layer by layer, detail by detail. It’s a fascinating collaboration between medicine and paleontology that helps uncover details long hidden within these extraordinary objects, and one we are honored to partner on.” 

The Museum's dinosaur egg isn’t the only fossil going to the doctor’s office. Also under the digital knife is the skull of a Giant Beaver (Castoroides ohioensis)—an Ice Age mammal that was as large as a modern black bear. The State Museum holds the first described skull and oldest fossil of this extinct species, and for the first time, its internal structure will be digitally examined. 

Native to Pleistocene-era New York, giant beavers’ skulls and teeth point to a unique diet and lifestyle. These scans will help scientists better understand this extinct species, its ecology, and how it is different from modern species.  

Stay tuned. In the coming weeks, the Museum and Albany Med will share behind-the-scenes footage, scan imagery, and expert analysis of what’s discovered—from the prehistoric to the Pleistocene.

About the New York State Museum

Established in 1836, the New York State Museum is the oldest and largest public museum in the United States. Home to leading scientists, historians, archeologists, and anthropologists, its collections represent the State’s rich cultural and natural heritage from the past and present, including a staggering 20+ million artifacts spanning 1.1 billion years ago to today. Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is free. For additional information, visit the New York State Museum website and subscribe to our newsletter.  

About Albany Medical Center

Albany Medical Center, northeastern New York’s only academic medical center, is one of the largest private employers in the Capital Region. It incorporates the 766-bed Albany Medical Center Hospital, which offers the widest range of medical and surgical services in the region, and Albany Medical College, which trains the next generation of doctors, scientists, and other healthcare professionals. It also includes the region’s largest physicians’ practice with 500 doctors. Albany Medical Center works with dozens of community partners to improve the region’s health and quality of life. Albany Medical Center is a member of the Albany Med Health System, which also includes Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital, Saratoga Hospital, and the Visiting Nurses. The region’s largest locally governed health system, it has 1,520 beds, more than 800 physicians, and 125 outpatient locations throughout the Capital Region.

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