Partial Hadrosaur Vertebra on Stand-Montana

 Taxa: Edmontosaurus sp.

Geology: Hell Creek formation

Age: Cretaceous-Maastrichtian

Locality: Garfield County, Montana

 No repairs or restorations.

Edmontosaurus

Edmontosaurus was a large, herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 73 to 66 million years ago. It is one of the most well-known hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs) and is famous for its broad, flattened beak and complex dental battery for grinding plants. Edmontosaurus could grow up to 40 feet in length and was one of the largest hadrosaurs of its time. It had a bipedal or quadrupedal stance, meaning it could walk on two or four legs, depending on the situation.

Fossils of Edmontosaurus have been found in North America, particularly in the Hell Creek Formation. This suggests that Edmontosaurus lived in a variety of environments, including coastal plains and floodplains, where it likely lived in herds. The species was an important part of the Late Cretaceous ecosystem and would have been a key food source for large predators like Tyrannosaurus rex.

Hell Creek formation

The Hell Creek Formation is a geologic formation in North America, primarily spanning Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. It dates to the Late Cretaceous period, around 66 million years ago, and is famous for its rich fossil record, including dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Edmontosaurus. It also contains evidence of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event, including an iridium layer associated with the asteroid impact that contributed to the mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs. The formation also preserves fossils of plants, mammals, fish, and reptiles, providing valuable insights into prehistoric ecosystems.