IDENTIFIABLE DINOSAUR BONE SECTIONS: Nature plays a wonderful part in both the preservation and destruction of fossil bones. The bones are found often in pieces due to the forces of weathering or scavenging. Sections have been collected that show structure and cellular detail. Dinosaur bone sections are intriguing to examine and are valuable in collections:
HADROSAURIDS or duck-billed dinosaurs, are members of the ornithischian family. A diverse group of dinosaurs commonly found during the Cretaceous period in North America, they were characterized by an array of various head shapes and styles.
Teeth in hadrosaurids were anything but weak. Arranged in batteries each with hundreds of teeth connected together by bony tissue in each jaw forming a long grinding surface. Teeth can be found in isolation due to the weathering process and also natural shedding. The teeth are a prism shape with the outer surface covered in a coat of enamel.
The present thought is that Hadrosaurids were capable of living and moving freely from one environment to another. The exact identification of the bone specimens can be a difficult task.
All specimens are from the Upper Cretaceous formation of Alberta and Montana unless noted.
. HADROSAURID bone jaw sections without teeth: These bones clearly reveal dental tooth battery placement. All are naturally weathered bone specimens with no restoration. They make excellent teaching specimens.
. HADROSAURID sp. vertebrae: Almost all the dinosaur vertabrae were collected in the Upper Cretaceous fossil beds of Alberta and Montana. They show excellent detail of the muscle/ ligament attachments and the blood vessel foramen. There is very little if any distortion in the specimens which show excellent bone cellular structure. These are clearly identifiable – great collector specimens!
. HADROSAURID foot bones: Uniquely mounted for exhibition purposes, all of these specimens have been set on a form in a manner which allows all individual pieces to be held and scrutinized. Superb for collection or as an artform. For those serious collectors it is possible to mount a complete leg.
. HADROSAURID sp. tendons: Fossil tendons are found which originate along the back, in front of and behind the hip region. They acted like cables on a suspension bridge supporting the back bone of the animal. They are typically one half to one centimetre wide and almost always found as pieces of a complete tendon. Excellent muscle scars and cellular detail. All are good specimens found as pieces.
BONES with carnivorous bite marks: It’s great for the imagination to think that these bones were part of a life and death battle a long time ago between two great animals; but more than likely they were scavenged by hungry carnosaurs after a natural death occurrence. Regardless of cause these bones show gouges and serrations of carnosaur teeth.
AMMONITES: This beautifully chambered fossil resembles the rams’ horns of Ammon, the ancient Egyptian god of life and procreation. The fossil shell contains a large anterior chamber where the main body of the animal lived and posterior intercommunicating growth chambers. When alive the ammonites developed hollow growth chambers sealed and separated by walls which allowed the animal to have buoyancy – the same principle utilized by man-made submarines.
When fossilized the hollow growth chambers of a selected few ammonites filled with minerals such as calcite, barite, pyrite and opal. The free swimming exclusively marine fossil ammonite is now extinct and is recognized and collected as one of the most artistic eye appealing forms in nature.
The exotic design and mineral composition of the fossil ammonite brings peaceful compassionate energies. It is said to be good for being in touch with feelings, helps past life recall and gives awareness to the growth in our new life. May you fully enjoy this treasure from our earth.
CERATOPSIDS: This group of dinosaurs also became diverse during the late Cretaceous Period. They have the largest heads of all dinosaurs with an array of various head shapes, horns and frills. They were quite widespread across North America, living in herds mostly in the upland plains. The heads of these dinosaurs were very powerful and must have made a mess of the vegetation, as they passed through the plains.
. Teeth and jaws: Ceratopsian teeth show a characteristic three sided prism-shovel head shape. Although similar in appearance to Hadrosaurids, they are generally broader and have longer and wider denticles on the cutting surface. A two root system is present but not often found. A single row of alternating teeth appear in jaws with rows of teeth underlying the top occluding tooth.
TYRANNOSAURID: This family of large theropod dinosaurs are probably the best known of all the dinosaurs. The teeth are in a variety of size and shape, and look different along the length of the jaw. These features in the past have led to problems in identification. The teeth and claws of this group of dinosaurs have attracted a lot of attention. Fossil collecting and preparation is our business, and if you have specific requirements please let us know.
ANKYLOSAURID ARMOUR PLATES : Our selection of armour plates (scutes) is outstanding. A MUSEUM QUALITY COLLECTION.
. Euoplocephalus tutus was the most prominent Ankylosaurid dinosaur. Euoplocephalus was about five to six meters long and weighed over two tons. Its body was low-slung and very flat and wide, standing on four sturdy legs. Its head had a short drooping snout with a horny beak to bite off plants that were digested in the large gut. Like other ankylosaurids, Euoplocephalus was largely covered by bony armour plates. The plates in our collection show excellent depressed bone scar and patterning. All armour scutes are from the Upper Cretaceous beds of Alberta.
EXTINCT CAVE BEAR: The Fossil Shop has an outstanding collection of the extinct European cave bear (Ursus spelaeus). They lived at the time of the last great ice age and interglacial period that took place in northern Europe. The environment along the edge of the ice sheets trapped the hibernating bears and the other animals in caves. Excellent examples of this extinct large brown bear relative are available. The size of the adult is awesome compared to living bears today. All fossil specimens are in good to excellent condition.
ORNITHOMIMID DINOSAURS: The Ornithomimosauria, ornithomimosaurs or ostrich dinosaurs were theropod dinosaurs which bore a superficial resemblance to modern ostriches: This bipedal theropod dinosaur has left the fossil record with excellent examples of hand and foot bones. Some primitive species had teeth, but most had toothless beaks. We offer specimens that have the bones sculptured to fit their own display base. The bones are removable.
REPTILE FOSSILS:
. CHAMPSOSAURUS: This 1.5 metre reptile lived in marshes and ox bow lakes, catching fish with its long, tooth-lined jaws. It was so specialised to life in the water that only females could come ashore to lay eggs, while males could not move on land.
Various fossils of other reptiles are found in association with dinosaurs. All are from the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta and Montana unless noted.