The fossil Funk uncovered was of a new species of nodosaur (armored dinosaur) and was the best-preserved armored dinosaur ever found, scientists say.

请问老师，上文中的红色of是什么用法，去掉可以吗？感谢老师的回答。

解答如下：

句中的介词of不能去掉，主语+be of +名词，表示主语固有一种属性/特点/特征，而且以上句子采用“宾语从句提前倒装结构。

句子语法结构为：

主语：scientists

谓语：say

宾语从句：The fossil Funk uncovered was of a new species of nodosaur (armored dinosaur) and was the best-preserved armored dinosaur ever found.

               关于be of+名词结构的用法探究

【1】“be of+抽象名词”，这时的of短语相当于这个名词的同根形容词，作为表语表示主语的性质或特征。of的意思是“具有、具备”等，常用于该结构的名词常见的有
of use=useful；of nouse=useless；of importance=important等。
The matter is of great importance.=The matter is very important.
在形容词前常用very来修饰，在“of+抽象名词”结构中，名词前常用great, much等来修饰。

It is of great importance for college students to master a foreign language.
=It is very important for college students to master a foreign language.

对大学生来说，掌握一门外语是很重要的。

【2】“be of+集合名词或其它类型的名词”，相当于belong to或have。of表示归属关系或“有”的意思。

The army and the people are of one family.
=The army and the people belong to one family.

军民是一家。
【3】“be of+物质名词”表示主语是“用某种材料构成或制作的”，相当于be made of或be built of。

Our building was of bricks.

=Our building was made of bricks.

=Our building was built of bricks.
我们的楼房是砖建的。
【4】be of+(表示种类、颜色、年龄、形状、价格等）名词，多用来表示主语的特征。这类结构的主语可以是人，也可以是物，其中的of可以省略。常用于该结构的名词有：kind,age,colour,size,height,shape,type,way,price等。

Several of the stamps were of the unusual kind.

其中几张邮票是不同种类的。
The two boys are of the same age.

=The two boys are of an age.

这两个男孩年龄相同。
She is of a different way of thinking.

她的思维方式与众不同。
These two kinds of article are of the same price.

这两种物品价格相同。
【5】“be of+名词”也可以表示“来源、组成”，相当于be born of, be made up of 。
He was of a poor peasant family.

他出身贫农家庭。
The committee is of seven people.

=The committee is made up of seven people

该委员会由7人组成。
【6】“be of+形容词的最高级”相当于one of...。
Mr.Wang is of the best teachers in our school.
=Mr Wang is one of the best teachers in our school.
王老师是我们学校里最好的老师之一。
The English teacher of ours is of the quickest temper.
=The English teacher of ours is one of the quickest temper.

我们的英语老师脾气最急躁。