25.2" Fossil Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus) Femur - South Dakota

Fossil Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus) Femur - South Dakota #211084

This is a 25.2" long hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus annectens) femur from our partner's lease on the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. The bone preservation in spots is exceptional, with intact cortical bone that bears a gorgeous red-brown coloration. It would have come from the right hind leg of the hadrosaur.

Measurements:
Length - 25.2"
Proximal End - 5.9" wide
Distal End - 4.1" wide

There are several repaired cracks through the diaphysis, some of which required some gap fill restoration. The fourth trochanter is intact, though there are repaired cracks throughout it where it fragmented within the ground. There is a large spot of gap fill restoration just below the proximal epiphysis, with multiple additional repaired cracks throughout the epiphysis. Much of the bone around the femoral head is weathered, though there are some spots of good bone preservation. The distal epiphysis is weathered and also required crack repair and gap fill restoration to piece back together.

Hadrosaurs

are frequently referred to as duck-billed dinosaurs and are members of the Ornithischian family Hadrosauridae. They were fairly common herbivores that roamed Asia, Europe, and North America during the Upper Cretaceous Period. Many species of Hadrosaurs had distinctive crests on their heads, some of which had air-filled chambers that may have produced a distinct sound. These crests may have been used for both audio and visual display purposes.

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.

More about Hadrosaurs