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FINEST GRADE GIANT TRICERATOPS TOOTH WITH CROWN AND ROOT Hell Creek Formation, South Dakota, U.S.A. LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD: 72 - 65 million years ago Collected
from the famous Hell Creek Formation of Northwestern U.S.A., this is one
of THE
LARGEST AND FINEST ROOTED, PARTLY WORN Triceratops tooth we have
ever offered. Unlike most teeth usually found which are "spit teeth" or ones that were
ejected from the dinosaur's mouth when alive, this one still has the
root attached. The presence of a root indicates this tooth was in
the Triceratops' jaw when it died. Rarely are Triceratops teeth
found loose that have the root as this one does. It is moderately
worn with a substantial portion of the giant crown still present so it
was in the Triceratops' jaw when the dinosaur died. The root is
present and is beautifully preserved. This is a
TOP GRADE educational
specimen because the cusp and root on Triceratops teeth are very unique but most
teeth found are no where near this size or this complete, making it impossible to see what
the teeth originally looked like in the jaw as they formed and moved
upward. A MONSTROUS, one-of-a-kind, gem tooth!
No fossil tooth collection
should be without at least one nice complete crown example tooth of one
of the "household name" dinosaurs of America's Late Cretaceous.
NO REPAIR AND NO RESTORATION. Highly
recommended! Horned ceratopians were extravagantly well-armored in their head region. Their skulls were heavy and armed with long, pointed horns. Extending off to the rear was a great sheet of heavy bone called the "frill". On some horned ceratopians, this was a solid sheet and likely served as a shield to protect the neck and even shoulders. On other types, the frill was an open framework of bone that was covered with skin, possibly acting as a heat shield or for social display. The edge of the frill on most horned ceratopians was armored with blunt, triangular spikes called epoccipitals. The Torosaurus latus is known to have one of the largest skulls known of any animal that ever lived on land. Torosaurus skulls have been known to reach 8.5 feet in length! All horned ceratopians were herbivores. Triceratops is the most famous of the great horned dinosaurs. This plant-eating group has been found in the fossil record in greater abundance than all the other varieties. A full grown Triceratops is estimated to have weighed 11 tons, heavier than a modern African bull elephant. Its skull was 6.5 feet long with a pair of brow horns that exceeded 3 feet in length. INVESTMENT GRADE ROOTED SPECIMEN WITH MODERATE WEAR ON CUSP - MONSTROUS EXAMPLE - OUR FINEST! 1.6" long SOLD DT19-018 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
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THE HELL CREEK FORMATION OF NORTHWESTERN U.S.A. |
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