5.3" Fossil Hadrosaur (Gryposaurus?) Toe Bone w/ Metal Stand - Texas

Fossil Hadrosaur (Gryposaurus?) Toe Bone w/ Metal Stand - Texas #250263

This is a 5.3" long toe bone from a hadrosaur. The lack of articulated material from this formations makes it difficult to provide accurate identification. That being said, when comparing this bone to material that has been identified, the toe bone closely resembles that of Gryposaurus. It comes from the Javelina Formation of Texas and is accompanied by the pictured custom metal display stand.

It is the proximal-most toe bone of the third toe (III - 1). The bone is weathered along both points of articulation, though there is some cortical bone preserved along the lateral, superior, and inferior surfaces. There is a repaired along the inferior half of the bone through the anterior point of articulation.

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.

This specimen was collected within the past year on private deeded property in Brewster County, Texas. You won't see any other dinosaur material from the Aguja & Javelina Formations for sale because nearly all of the formation lies the borders of Big Bend National Park or in Mexico, where laws prevent collection of fossils for sale. One of our partners was lucky enough to purchase several hundred acres of ranch land in Texas containing a good exposure of these formations.

These formations are equivalent age to the Judith River Formations in the Northern US and Alberta, Canada. Because relatively little collecting has been done on these formations in Texas, most of the species remain undescribed. Our partner has been putting important material into research collections and working with museums and researchers, so in the coming years their work will help lead to formal descriptions for these dinosaurs.

More about Hadrosaurs