Edmontosaurus Toe Bone - South Dakota

This is a complete toe bone of Edmontosaurus annectens, a Hadrosaur or commonly referred to as a duck-billed dinosaur. Despite the fissure running through it, it is very solid without repair or restoration. It was collected from the 66 million year old Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. For more information check out A Detailed Guide to a Hadrosaur Foot at Smithsonian.com

A detailed diagram of the bones in a Hadrosaur foot. From Zheng et al., 2011.

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.

More about Hadrosaurs