25" Partial Hadrosaur Femur With Three Teeth Associated - Montana

Partial Hadrosaur Femur With Three Teeth Associated - Montana #132897

This is a 25.2" long femur of a duck billed dinosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana. A unique feature of this specimen can be found at the distal end of the bone, where bone fragments including teeth, a partial rib and other bone chunks have been prepped free from the rock and left in position. These bones and shell fragments were naturally associated with the femur and the bones are likely hadrosaur as well. The remaining rock has been stabilized to ensure the bones and shells stay in place.

The preservation of most of this bone is excellent, with the cortical (outermost) bone still in great condition. Portions of the bone are caved in or warped due to geologic processes. The most significant restoration can be found at the proximal end of the bone where the femoral head region broke free, requiring gap fill restoration where the bone crumbled beyond repair. Crack repairs can also be found at the proximal end of the bone near the points of restoration. There appears to be a crack repair that wraps around the middle of the bone, with some breakage to the trochanter, some of which wasn't recoverable. Both the proximal and distal end of the bone weathered away, and from what I can tell much of the interior of the bone did as well.

This specimen comes with the custom built, pictured metal 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.

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.

More about Hadrosaurs