Small Edmontosaurus Caudal Vertebra - South Dakota

This is a small caudal (tail) vertebra of Edmontosaurus annectens, a Hadrosaur or commonly referred to as a duck-billed dinosaur. It was collected from the 66 million year old Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. It is fairly heavy and has been partially replaced by an iron nodule.

This specimen as was collected, prepared and identified by the Black Hills Institute.

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