1.6" Dinosaur (Thescelosaurus) Phalanx Bone - Montana

Dinosaur (Thescelosaurus) Phalanx Bone - Montana #235557

This is a 1.6" long, distal phalanx of the neornithischian dinosaur, Thescelosaurus garbanii. It was collected from a private ranch on the Hell Creek Formation in Montana. Most of the bone features phenomenal preservation. Typically providing species identification for isolated toe bones can be difficult, however the shallow depressions on each side of the bone are characteristic of Thescelosaurus phalanxes.

There is some restoration to the proximal point of articulation along the right side of the bone.

Thescelosaurus was a small ornithopod dinosaur that appeared at the very end of the Late Cretaceous period in North America. Many specimens' preservation and completeness indicate that Thescelosaurus may have preferred to live near streams.

This bipedal ornithopod is known from several partial skeletons and skulls, all of which indicate adult lengths between 2.5 and 4.0 meters (8.2 to 13.1 feet) on average. It had sturdy hind limbs, small wide hands, and a head with an elongated pointed snout. Their teeth and jaw morphologies suggest a primarily herbivorous diet.

An artist's reconstruction of Thescelosaurus. Creative Commons License

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