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THE EDGE OF TOROSAURUS FRILL FENESTRAE ARE KNOWN TO HAVE A TAPERING EDGE TOWARDS THE OPENING. THE IMAGES ABOVE AND BELOW DEMONSTRATE THAT EXACT ANATOMY ON THIS SPECIMEN AS THEY SHOW A VERY LARGE INTACT EDGE OF A MAIN SKULL FENESTRA
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ULTRA RARE LARGE TOROSAURUS DINOSAUR HEAD SHIELD FRILL SECTION WITH RARE INTACT FENESTRA ANATOMY 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 an EXTRAORDINARILY RARE massive portion of the frill from the skull of a Torosaurus dinosaur, one of the largest of the horned dinosaurs. Aside from this being such a substantially present section of the head shield, most invaluable is the intact edge of the left main fenestra (opening) which is one of the key features of the skull's frill on Torosaurus. If you research all the recreations and restorations of fossil skulls, you will see complete skulls are scarce and fragile frill anatomy is lost and not fully understood due to the fact that rarely enough of the frill survives the fossilization process to be available for a complete and trustworthy reconstruction of what the skull looks like. Searching online images with keywords of " TOROSAURUS SKULL " will yield some horrible reconstructions and widely varying depictions made from poorly fossilized remains. True, substantial portions of ANY horned dinosaur frill is very rare in the fossil record which makes this specimen all the more important when you consider this.
Acquired directly from the field, we performed all lab preparation work
on this specimen so we can attest to exactly what has been done.
This specimen was found in only a couple of pieces and had only a tiny
section missing. The bone you see above is
99% original
with only fractures filled and approximately a 3" x 2" area
reconstructed on one area near the fenestra edge. To ensure safe
handling and display, the back side has been reinforced with epoxy.
The edge and all detail you see on the face of this rare specimen is
original bone
detail.
This is the FIRST
TIME we have ever witnessed such a substantially intact portion of
frill section with intact fenestrae anatomy of this dinosaur available
for public purchase making this not only a rare and impressive dinosaur
fossil, but a valuable scientific specimen, as well.
Unlike Triceratops,
Torosaurus did not have toothed ornamentation (epioccipitals) on its
frill edge. The frill portion seen here demonstrates this as the
curved edge you see is the outer frill edge. (SEE IMAGE BELOW TO
SHOW WHERE THIS SPECIMEN WAS LOCATED ON THE SKULL). Probably this
will be the finest and most substantial portion of Torosaurus frill you
will ever see so well preserved. It is well-suited for museum
exhibitions to illustrate WITH REAL FOSSIL what the skulls really would
have looked like on these bizarre horned monsters.
One of the largest of these magnificent dinosaurs, the TOROSAURUS (meaning "perforated lizard"), is known to have the largest skull of any known land animal that ever lived. With the frill, the skull of an adult reached 8.5 feet. This frill or head shield, had large openings (fenestrae) that would have lightened the weight of the head. Unlike Triceratops and other horned dinosaurs with highly ornamented frills, the frill of Torosaurus did not have any epioccipitals on its frill edge but rather a smooth, slightly wavy surface. Perhaps the extra protection wasn't needed - the sheer massive size of this 25 foot, 4-6 ton beast might have been enough to make any other dinosaur think twice before starting a fight. THE LARGEST PORTION OF TOROSAURUS FRILL WITH INTACT OPENING ANATOMY WE HAVE EVER SEEN OFFERED FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC THE GEOMETRY OF THE TOROSAURUS SKULL FRILL ANATOMY WITH ITS UNIQUE OPENINGS (FENESTRAE) ARE NOT WELL REPRESENTED YET THIS SPECIMEN SHOWS A SUBSTANTIAL INTACT PORTION OF THAT EXTREMELY RARE FEATURE MAKING IT AN INVALUABLE SPECIMEN TO RECREATE WHAT THE SKULL WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE! 29" long by 9.3" across SOLD DB19-009 Actual Item - One Only |
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SKETCH ABOVE SHOWS RENDERING OF A TOROSAURUS SKULL. THE AREA HIGHLIGHTED INDICATES WHERE THIS FRILL SECTION WOULD HAVE BEEN LOCATED ON THE SKULL
THE HELL CREEK FORMATION OF NORTHWESTERN U.S.A. |
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5495 |
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.
