2.8" Fossil Theropod Caudal Vertebra on Metal Stand - Montana

Fossil Theropod Caudal Vertebra on Metal Stand - Montana #202215

This is a nicely preserved, 2.8" long theropod caudal vertebra with portions of the processes intact, collected from the Judith River Formation of Montana. Much of the centrum is beautifully intact with cortical bone preservation. It displays nicely on the custom metal display stand.

The vertebra was found fragmented within the rock, requiring gap fill restoration and crack repair to piece back together. The anterior half of the centrum has gap fill along the right side that continues through to the left. Gap fill can also be found at the base of each process where they were found detached from the neural arch.

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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