Large 1.59" Nanotyrannus Tooth - Tooth Draw Quarry

This is a 1.59" long Tyrannosaurid tooth of the genus Nanotyrannus lancensis from the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. At over an inch and a half long this is a BIG tooth for a Nanotyrannus. The enamel is in great shape, with some minor feeding wear to the tip. About 2/3 of the serrations are present and in good shape. There is a repaired crack about 1/3 of the way down from the tip. Comes with a riker mount display case.

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. Nano teeth tend to be much more finely serrated, and much thinner/blade like t-rex teeth, in addition to being smaller.

This tooth was found at a private ranch in Butte County, South Dakota earlier this summer. It comes from a quarry known as the "Tooth Draw Quarry" that has produced many high quality dinosaur teeth over the past several decades. In the Late Cretaceous some 65 million years ago, this quarry was located in a sub-tropical floodplain that would have been similar to modern day coastal Louisiana. It consists of 2 meters of alternating sandstone and gravel, representing a river channel lag deposit. It contains many isolated dinosaur teeth including T-Rex, Nanotyrannus, Raptors and Triceratops, but teeth of this high quality are rare finds.

The last two photos show the collecting location.