14.6" Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus) Maxilla - South Dakota

Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus) Maxilla - South Dakota #192582

This is a 14.6" long, maxilla of a Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus annectens) from the Hell Creek Formation of Harding County, South Dakota. Commonly known as a duck-billed dinosaur Edmontosaurus was one of the largest Hadrosaur measuring up to 39 feet long and weighing as much as 4 tons.

The preservation of the bone is very nice requiring only minimal repair and gap fill restoration to the distal end. Many of the small details of the bone still remain, including natural grooves on the inside of the maxilla, as well as some of the foramina. If the skull of this hadrosaur was still intact, this maxilla would sit on the right side of the mouth. While the teeth are present, their preservation was quite soft so they could not be exposed further without damaging them.

Comes with a display stand.

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.

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