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RARE COMPLETE GRADE 10 PACHYCEPHALOSAURUS DINOSAUR TOOTH 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 a
very rare dinosaur tooth from the well-known and highly popular dinosaur
group PACHYCEPHALOSAUR. Fossils from these bizarre prehistoric
creatures are not common and rarely offered for sale. This is
a rare tooth in a very fine state of preservation and completeness.
Crown
is present with choice, fine detail and intact anatomy. All enamel is intact with a natural glossy sheen and is a dark espresso
brown. Found on a site producing
STYGIMOLOCH fossils. This is a
GRADE 10
tooth from a dinosaur that is rarely included in fossil collections! NO REPAIR and NO
RESTORATION. Found INTACT and exactly as shown
above.
VERY highly
recommended!
All pachycephalosaurs were bipedal, plant-eating ornithischians that possessed a very thick-boned dome in the top of their skulls. The height of the dome varies amongst species as does the ornamentation to the skull. Variations include spikes, knobs and bony frills to different regions of the head. All had five-fingered hands, three-toed feet and a long, stiff tail for balance. There are two schools of thought as to why these amazing creatures had the thick bone dome to the top of their skulls. Some scientists believe pachycephalosaurs butted heads like modern day rams do. Others counter that the skull and bones were not designed for such impact.
The most identifiable isolated finds of pachycephalosaur dinosaur fossils are the fronto-parietal bone skull domes which are rare but occasionally found. Teeth are also found in microsites. Post-cranial pachycephalosaur fossils remains are very rare. Pachycephalosaur remains have been found in North America, England, Madagascar, China and Mongolia. CHOICE GRADE COMPLETE PACHYCEPHALOSAUR TOOTH - FAMOUS DINOSAUR BUT FOSSILS ARE RARE! .25" long $285 DT20-010 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
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PACHYCEPHALOSAURS
are most famous for their thick, bony skull caps for which they are named.
They are a bizarre group of herbivorous dinosaurs that lived during the
end of the Cretaceous Period. Pachycephalosaurs include several
different species that range in size from 3 feet to 26 feet in length.
The largest of these dinosaurs is the species Pachycephalosaurus.
Mountain
sheep ram each other with their large horns but they have air spaces in
the front of their skull to absorb the shock of impact, pachycephalosaurs
do not and the bony dome is solid all the way to the brain.
Head-butting with such a skull would send severe shocks to the brain that
would likely cause damage to the organ. Possibly, shock was diverted
to the neck vertebra by off-center blows but the overall graceful nature
of the skeletal structure suggests that these were not robust, fighting
creatures.
The
elaborate head ornamentation and bony dome of pachycephalosaurs might have
served as mere decoration for mating and other social behavior needs.
One species known as Stygimoloch, had horns at the rear of the skull that
grew up to 4 inches long. Clearly, these were more ornamental than
practical weapons. One compromising theory is that like bulls, these
dinosaurs met heads in a challenge of pushing rather than ramming.
