10.3" Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus) Femur Section - South Dakota

Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus) Femur Section - South Dakota #192595

This is an 10.3" long Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus annectens) partial femur (proximal end) from the Hell Creek Formation of Harding County, South Dakota. The bone preservation is excellent with much of the cortical bone still intact. There are fractures through the bone, some of which required glue stabilization. There is one spot of gap fill restoration at the center of the bone.

This comes from the middle of the femur and when placed with the "flat" (distal) side down, it sits nicely on a flat surface.

Hadrosaurs

are frequently referred to as duck-billed dinosaurs and are members of the Ornithischian family Hadrosauridae. They were fairly common herbivores that roamed Asia, Europe, and North America during the Upper Cretaceous Period. Many species of Hadrosaurs had distinctive crests on their heads, some of which had air-filled chambers that may have produced a distinct sound. These crests may have been used for both audio and visual display purposes.

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.

More about Hadrosaurs