7.2" Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus) Caudal Vertebra - Montana

Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus) Caudal Vertebra - Montana #206498

This is a distal caudal vertebra of a Hadrosaur (Edmontosaurus annectens) from the Hell Creek Formation of Dawson County, Montana. It is in wonderful condition, complete with a spinous process, a beautifully preserved centrum, and a natural prezygapophysis (right side). Most of the cortical bone has weathered away, exposing the bone cell canals within. The rock within the neural canal has been prepped away.

The entire vertebra measures 7.2 x 5.7 x 3" when sitting on a flat surface.

Most of the spinous process has been reconstructed which is common for spinous processes due to their fragile nature. The restoration of the process starts at the base and continues upward through most of the bone. There are repaired cracks through each pedicle and the left anterior prezygapophysis is restored.

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.

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.