7.4" Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus) Anterior Caudal Vertebra - South Dakota

This is a 7.4" tall hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus sp.) anterior caudal vertebra from the Hell Creek Formation in Harding County, South Dakota. This excellent specimen is in very good condition and includes the centrum, vertebral arch, the proximal end of the right transverse process, and both prezygapophyses.

Comes with an acrylic-metal display stand.

The spinous process is missing, along with both transverse processes. There are repaired cracks through the partial transverse process and through the vertebral arch. Glue stabilization can also be found at the middle of the anterior point of articulation of the centrum.

Edmontosaurus is one of the largest Hadrosaurs, and one of the most widespread: fossil remainshave been found across western North America, from Colorado to northern Alaska. This large herbivore was about the same size as the contemporary predator Tyrannosaurus, reaching 39 feet in length and an average weight of about 6 tons. Named after Edmonton, the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta where its first fossils were discovered, Edmontosaurus was a gregarious terrestrial herbivore that ground up low-lying plant material with its large battery of ever-restoring teeth. Numerous skin impressions and mummified specimens show us that Edmontosaurus had scaly skin, and its forelimbs were enclosed in a fleshy "mitten" serving a purpose similar to a hoof. Edmontosaurus was a member of the Saurolophine clade of Hadrosaurs, meaning they had little to nonexistent crests on the backs of their skulls.

Because of its age and sedimentary composition, the Hell Creek Formation has become one of the most paleontologically studied areas in the world. 158 genera of animals and 64 genera of plants are known from the formation and new discoveries are made frequently. In addition to Tyrannosaurs, Ceratopsids, and Hadrosaurs, the formation has yielded remains of amphibians, reptiles, lizards, snakes and turtles, fish and sharks, avian and non-avian dinosaurs, and mammals. The Hell Creek Formation gives the most complete understanding of the environment just before the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.
FOR SALE
$595
DETAILS
SPECIES
Edmontosaurus sp.
LOCATION
Harding County, South Dakota
FORMATION
Hell Creek Formation
SIZE
7.4 x 7.3 x 3.3"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#243612
GUARANTEE
We guarantee the authenticity of all of our
specimens. Read more about our
Authenticity Guarantee.