.84" Baby Tyrannosaur Tooth - Hell Creek Formation

This is a small, .84" long Tyrannosaur tooth from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. A tooth of this size would certainly have come from a juvenile Nanotyrannus. The enamel on the tooth is in decent condition, and there is some feeding wear to the tip as well as the inner serrations. It comes in an acrylic display case.

There is a hot debate among paleontologists about whether Nanotyrannus and Tyrannosaurus rex (T-Rex) are really the same species, with Nanotyrannus representing juveniles. Recent finds that are soon to be published should put this debate to rest, definitively proving that Nanotyrannus is in fact a separate genus and valid genus.

These juvenile Tyrannosaur teeth from the Hell Creek Formation sometimes get incorrectly labeled as Dromaeosaurus teeth by collectors and dealers, probably due to their small size. While there have been Dromaeosaurs (Acheroraptor) described from the Hell Creek Formation, the genus Dromaeosaurus is not known to be present in the formation. They also don't have some of the defining characteristics of Dromaeosaur teeth including different sized serrations on the two sides and apicobasal ridges on the crown. But, they do match the characteristics of Tyrannosaur teeth.