2.65" Partial Theropod Caudal Vertebra - Montana

Partial Theropod Caudal Vertebra - Montana #222472

This is a 2.65" Theropod Caudal vertebra from the Judith River Formation of Montana. The Vertebra has undergone extensive reparation, due to distortion during fossilization. Because many mid-sized theropods lived in the Judith River Formation, it is very difficult to appraise this specimen on a genus or species level.

The Judith River Formation is one of the world's most prolific sources of Late Cretaceous vertebrate fossils. At least sixteen Orders containing more than forty Genera are known from the formation. These include fish, amphibians, mammals, and insects in addition to reptiles and avian (birds) and non-avian dinosaurs. Among the more interesting specimens is Leonardo, a mummified and fossilized Brachylophosaurus. This is a hadrosaur, a duck-billed dinosaur found with amazing soft-tissue preservation: skin impressions can be found on 90 percent of its body! The pattern in the skin on its feet is even preserved. In addition to Leonardo, the Judith River Formation contains the remains of the theropod Hesperornis, the only known freshwater Hespernorthid, a penguin-like bird.

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