8.5" Ankylosaur (Denversaurus) Caudal Vertebra - Montana

Ankylosaur (Denversaurus) Caudal Vertebra - Montana #132009

This is a caudal (tail) vertebra from an Ankylosaur (Denversaurus) that was collected from the Lance Formation in Montana. Much of the vertebra is present, however it was found fragmented and has since been pieced back together. The centrum is fairly weathered and has spots of crack repair and gap fill restoration throughout the anterior and posterior faces. The transverse processes have both undergone restoration and crack repair to reattach them to the centrum. There is restoration between the centrum and vertebral arch, as well as significant restoration at the point where the spinous process attached to the vertebra. The spinous process and chevron of this vertebra weren't recovered.

Comes with the pictured metal display stand.

An artists reconstruction of an Ankylosaur. Image Public Domain by Mariana Ruiz

Ankylosaurs were herbivorous dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous (65-68 million years ago). As the evolution of Ankylosaurus progressed, they developed bony armor that covered their bodies in the form of plates, scutes and spikes, with some even developing armor on their eyelids. While their armor and bone-shattering tail club are thought to have been used for defensive purposes against predators such as Tyrannosaurus, it's possible that some of the armor on their head may have been used for display. Adult Ankylosaurs are believed to have reached up to 25 feet in length and weigh 3.3 tons!

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