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7.5" Fossil Dromaeosaurid Theropod Dinosaur Femur Section - Wyoming
This is an impressive 7.5" long femur section from a dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur, collected from the Late Cretaceous-aged Lance (Creek) Formation on a private ranch in Wyoming. The specimen consists of the diaphysis (shaft) of the femur, preserving a substantial portion of the hindlimb bone from one of the agile, predatory dinosaurs that inhabited western North America approximately 66 million years ago. Dromaeosaurid skeletal material is exceptionally rare, particularly identifiable limb bones, making this a remarkable fossil from a group of dinosaurs more commonly represented by isolated teeth.
The bone exhibits excellent preservation, retaining its natural contours and surface texture. There are four primary repaired cracks through the specimen, which have been stabilized to maintain its structural integrity. Despite these repairs and its incomplete nature, this is an impressive example of a rare dromaeosaurid skeletal element from the iconic Lance (Creek) Formation.
The bone exhibits excellent preservation, retaining its natural contours and surface texture. There are four primary repaired cracks through the specimen, which have been stabilized to maintain its structural integrity. Despite these repairs and its incomplete nature, this is an impressive example of a rare dromaeosaurid skeletal element from the iconic Lance (Creek) Formation.
About The Lance Formation
The Lance Formation of eastern Wyoming is a Late Cretaceous (69–66 million years old) unit that represents the same geologic age as the famous Hell Creek Formation of Montana and the Dakotas. Although they are time-equivalent, the Lance and Hell Creek preserve subtly different environments. Hell Creek reflects a humid, forested coastal plain punctuated by volcanic ash deposits, while the Lance records a slightly drier, more open floodplain landscape with broader river systems and fewer ash layers. Together, they provide a complementary view of life in the final chapter of the dinosaur era.
Perhaps the most famous Lance resident would be Tyrannosaurus rex, the largest North American carnivore to ever live. However, other smaller theropods also roamed the American midwest in this subtropical coastal stream system, including the beaked Ornithomimus, a lanky running theropod with a build similar to a modern ostrich, as well as several small predatory troodonts such as Paronychodon and Pectinodon.
Herbivorous dinosaurs also took advantage of the abundance offered by this unique era. Armored ankylosaurs dwelt in herds, their safety assured by their numbers, their heavy bone plating protecting most of their bodies and even their eyelids, and huge bone clubs on the ends of their tails providing them with powerful offensive capabilities. Ceratopsians like the famous Triceratops also formed protective herds, guarding their necks with frills and horns. Their smaller relatives, the dome-headed pachycephalosaurs, were also well represented in the area. Hadrosaurs, duck-billed titans with huge batteries of plant-grinding teeth in elongated snouts, are also well known from the region.
In addition to dinosaurs, a wide variety of fishes, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, champsosaurs, crocodilians, and pterosaurs have been found in the formation.
The Lance Formation of eastern Wyoming is a Late Cretaceous (69–66 million years old) unit that represents the same geologic age as the famous Hell Creek Formation of Montana and the Dakotas. Although they are time-equivalent, the Lance and Hell Creek preserve subtly different environments. Hell Creek reflects a humid, forested coastal plain punctuated by volcanic ash deposits, while the Lance records a slightly drier, more open floodplain landscape with broader river systems and fewer ash layers. Together, they provide a complementary view of life in the final chapter of the dinosaur era.
Perhaps the most famous Lance resident would be Tyrannosaurus rex, the largest North American carnivore to ever live. However, other smaller theropods also roamed the American midwest in this subtropical coastal stream system, including the beaked Ornithomimus, a lanky running theropod with a build similar to a modern ostrich, as well as several small predatory troodonts such as Paronychodon and Pectinodon.
Herbivorous dinosaurs also took advantage of the abundance offered by this unique era. Armored ankylosaurs dwelt in herds, their safety assured by their numbers, their heavy bone plating protecting most of their bodies and even their eyelids, and huge bone clubs on the ends of their tails providing them with powerful offensive capabilities. Ceratopsians like the famous Triceratops also formed protective herds, guarding their necks with frills and horns. Their smaller relatives, the dome-headed pachycephalosaurs, were also well represented in the area. Hadrosaurs, duck-billed titans with huge batteries of plant-grinding teeth in elongated snouts, are also well known from the region.
In addition to dinosaurs, a wide variety of fishes, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, champsosaurs, crocodilians, and pterosaurs have been found in the formation.
$1,450
SPECIES
Indeterminate Dromaeosaurid
LOCATION
Private Ranch near Newcastle, Wyoming
FORMATION
Lance (Creek) Formation
SIZE
7.5" long
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#382441
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