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LARGE DROMAEOSAURUS "RAPTOR" DINOSAUR TOOTH FROM HELL CREEK Hell Creek Formation - South Dakota, U.S.A. LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD: 70 - 65 million years ago From the famous home of T. rex, the Hell Creek Formation, this is a superb quality and large tooth of one of the most popularly known type of dinosaurs, the DROMAEOSAURS or otherwise known as "raptors" from the Jurassic Park film series. This genuine fossil dinosaur tooth is of the Dromaeosaurus sp. and would have come from a maximum size dromaeosaur "raptor" dinosaur. Dromaeosaurus was about 6 feet long, weighing around 35 lbs and roughly the size of a medium size dog. As portrayed in the movie but smaller than depicted, this dinosaur was extremely fast and most likely a very smart and ferocious predator. The sickle-shaped claws on each foot and the hand claws were dangerous weapons as were the robust dagger-like teeth. No doubt, to many other creatures living in the midst of dromaeosaurs, this was one swift and deadly meat-eater to avoid. This is a classic dromaeosaur "raptor" dinosaur tooth but with an interesting feature - it was swallowed by the dromaeosaur it once belonged to, likely during feeding. Occasionally in the fossil record, you find teeth that have been swallowed. As teeth in many of these creatures were in a constant state of replacement, on some occasions during feeding, a tooth was swallowed accidentally. The evidence for it is the surface of the enamel showing signs of complete partial erosion from the digestive acids in the stomach. The lack of serrations is not from feeding but from the dissolution from the stomach acid of the dromaeosaur. This is only the second time we have offered a swallowed raptor tooth, the other being from North Africa and available as of this posting as DT6-106. INTACT with NO REPAIR AND NO RESTORATION. The famous Hell Creek deposit in the Northwestern United States has been immortalized again and again on numerous TV documentaries as the "Valley of the T. rex". For its astonishing array of dangerous and large prehistoric predator fossils, no place has captured more attention or has been featured more in the news than Hell Creek! Fine grade fossils from this formation are amongst the most sought after specimens for collectors around the world. Most of the dinosaurs we grew up learning about as kids, come from Hell Creek.
Recent discoveries in China have shown feathered species existed. This has revolutionized paleontologists' view of what not only these creatures could have looked like when alive, but of possible plumage on other theropod dinosaurs. Dromaeosaurs share other characteristics with birds and theories now place these vicious predators as being the earliest ancestors of birds. Dromaeosaurs first evolved in the Early Cretaceous and survived right up to the end of the Late Cretaceous suggesting they were adaptable and capable hunters, surviving such a prolonged period yet, remaining virtually unchanged in overall design. RARE SWALLOWED TOOTH FROM HELL CREEK - FROM THE LAND OF T. REX! .45" long along the leading curve SOLD DT6-133 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
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The
dromaeosaurs are popularly known (especially in the movie "Jurassic
Park") as "raptors", a group of fascinating extinct
creatures. Raptors ranged in size from the size of a small dog
on
up to 30 feet long! They are theropods that possessed specialized
features: a well-developed slashing talon on their second toe, a stiffened
tail, and large grasping hands.
The
"killing claw" of raptors was a terrifying and incredibly
efficient weapon. As they moved, it was held off the ground.
When the muscles of the toe were contracted, the claw swept down
quickly, providing for a powerful slash that may have been able to
disembowel prey swiftly. The stiffened tail would have been good
to stabilize the body while the grasping arms and jaws held onto the
prey for balance. Although there is no conclusive evidence for
this, it has been suggested that raptors could have performed leaps onto
large prey and used all four limbs to rip wounds in them. 
Raptors
were ferocious predators that some scientists believe hunted in packs
and attacked much larger dinosaurs by slashing their underbellies.
It is also believed that they were similar to lions in predatory
behavior, preferring ambushes and quick chases using their high
maneuverability along with strategic pack-hunting tactics. A human
could be torn to shreds by a pack of raptors in less than 30
seconds. 