Serrated, .55" Small Theropod (Raptor) Tooth - Montana

Serrated, Small Theropod (Raptor) Tooth - Montana #204208

This is a .55" long theropod (raptor) tooth that was collected from a private ranch located on the Hell Creek Formation of Eastern Montana. The serrations along the distal edge are present, along with excellent preservation of the enamel across most of the tooth. The tip of the tooth is chipped.

Comes with an acrylic display case.

Often these smaller theropod teeth from the Hell Creek Formation get labeled as being Dromaeosaur (Raptor) teeth based on their size. But, there is so much debate as to the exact classifications of the small theropod dinosaurs in the Hell Creek Formation, and the teeth are so similar. In many cases applying a species to them is almost guesswork. Some may be juvenile theropods such as Nanotyrannus, Tyrannosaurus rex, or Acheroraptor (a North American cousin of the famous Velociraptor) which has become somewhat of a catch all genus for the small theropod teeth from the Hell Creek Formation.

Because of its age and sedimentary composition, the Hell Creek Formation has become one of the most paleontologically studied areas in the world. 158 genera of animals and 64 genera of plants are known from the formation and new discoveries are made frequently. In addition to Tyrannosaurs, Ceratopsids, and Hadrosaurs, the formation has yielded remains of amphibians, reptiles, lizards, snakes and turtles, fish and sharks, avian and non-avian dinosaurs, and mammals. The Hell Creek Formation gives the most complete understanding of the environment just before the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.

About Dinosaur Teeth