> How could scientists have presumed the dark outline was carbonized soft tissue for so many decades? "This fossil was discovered in 1931 and back then fossils were treated very differently than today," said Rossi. "Application of paints, consolidates and lacquers on fossil bones was the norm, because that was the only way to protect the specimens from further deterioration. It was also sometimes to embellish specimens by making them sleek and shiny. Unfortunately, in the case of Tridentinosaurus, the mechanical preparation did most of the damage and then the application of a black paint created the illusion of a lizard-like animal impression on the surface of the rock.“
Combine that with the fact that part of the fossil is real (hind legs) and the extreme hesitancy to touch the sample due to its rarity explains how it got so far.
I’m sure this story will be a favorite of anti-evolution zealots for decades to come. They love stories like this where scientists were wrong about something (ignoring the fact that they corrected the record publicly) because it helps them convince people that science can’t be trusted.