11" Sandstone With Triceratops Jugal, Tendon & Bone - Wyoming

This 11" wide piece of sandstone contains a partial Triceratops jugal bone, ossified tendons (likely from Edmontosaurus annectens), and several partial bones. It was collected from the Lance Creek Formation of Wyoming. The jugal bone is classified as an armored cheekbone which is positioned below the orbital bones where the eyes sit.

Comes with a display stand.

About Triceratops

Triceratops is one of the most recognized and intriguing of the North American ceratopsid dinosaurs. They stomped around the Late Cretaceous (around 68-66 mya), brandishing their three-pronged and bony frilled skulls, chewing on fibrous plants. They struggled against large predators, stood their ground, and tried not to be devoured by the ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex.

An artist's rendering of Triceratops.
An artist's rendering of Triceratops.


The head on a Triceratops may have been an intimidating show rather than a stabbing, defensive trident and imposing shield for inter-species jousting. Researchers have given close scrutiny to the holes, or fenestrae, of other ceratopsid crests. In the past, the holes within the shield were used to confirm separate species.

Individual Triceratops are estimated to have reached up to 9 meters (29.5 feet) in length, 3 meters (9.8 feet) in height, and weighed up to 26,000 pounds. The largest known skull is estimated to have been 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) long and would have extended almost a third of the length of the mature individual. The pointed horns were approximately 1 meter (3 feet) long. With its sturdy build and powerful legs, Triceratops could have ripped open the predator that wanted this herbivore for dinner.

One of the most abundant of the large Cretaceous fauna, Triceratops plucked low growth with its beak-tipped jaws. Triceratops teeth were arranged in groups, called batteries, of 36 to 40 tooth columns, in each side of each jaw. Each column contained about 3 to 5 stacked teeth, depending on the individual’s size. This produced a range of 432 to 800 teeth, of which only a fraction were in use at any given time (due to tooth replacement). The great size and quantity of teeth suggests that they ate large volumes of fibrous plants. These were possibly palms, cycads, and ferns.

Closeup of the jaws and teeth of Triceratops.
Closeup of the jaws and teeth of Triceratops.


Triceratops was designated as the state fossil of South Dakota in 1988.


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.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Triceratops horridus & Edmontosaurus annectens
LOCATION
Weston County, Wyoming
FORMATION
Lance (Creek) Formation
SIZE
Jugal: 6.9" wide, Entire Specimen: 11 x 10.9"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#227967
GUARANTEE
We guarantee the authenticity of all of our specimens.