15.3" Dinosaur (Torosaurus) Frill Shield Edge Piece - Montana

Torosaurus was a large herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur from the late Cretaceous of North America, approximately 68-66 million years ago. Torosaurus was roughly the same size as its close relative and contemporary, Triceratops, around 25-30 feet (8-10 meters) and 5-9 tons at adult size. The major differences between the two mainly lie in Torosaurus's unique skull. Its skull was much longer than Triceratops', measuring 8-10 feet in length. Torosaurus also had two large openings in the ceratopsid frill it possessed, making it lighter. Some believe that Torosaurus and Triceratops are synonymous animals, since aside from the skull they share most if not all distinguishing traits. However, the current consensus among paleontologists is that they are two seperate genera, since their geographic habitats didn't perfectly coincide and both adult and subadult members of both genera have been found.

The Hell Creek Formation

Renowned for both its age and rich sedimentary layers, the Hell Creek Formation is one of the most intensively studied fossil-bearing regions on Earth. To date, scientists have documented 158 genera of animals and 64 genera of plants from its rocks, with new finds emerging regularly. Beyond iconic dinosaurs such as tyrannosaurs, ceratopsians, and hadrosaurs, the formation has produced an extraordinary array of life, including amphibians, reptiles, lizards, snakes, turtles, fish, sharks, birds, and early mammals. Together, these fossils provide the most complete picture of the ecosystems that thrived just before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.