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Fall Dinosaur Collecting Trip to South Dakota


Troodon

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Just returned from my fall collecting trip to South Dakota.  Will focus on my finds and I've attached a couple of prior trips to see more of the area, fauna, finds and collecting gear.

 

Spring 2021

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/115998-spring-dinosaur-dig-in-south-dakota/

Fall 2020

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/109554-collecting-trip-hell-creek-formation/#comments

 

Before I get into my new finds here are some prepped items from my last two trips that I have yet to share

 

A possible Troodontid metatarsal 

Metartsal.thumb.jpg.500712c90828e65c71409c3116ca51cb.jpg

 

 

A very weird bone, showed Pete Larsen and he's leaning to a pathologic Digit III Edmontosaurus toe bone.  Very odd bone.  Good size

ToePatho.thumb.jpg.08e5f6278cc5511ff25c78ee796c38b5.jpg

 

An nice size Edmontosaurus cervical vertebra about 7.8" High and 13.5" wide

Cervical.thumb.jpg.72ccb6df814fe65c7af6ea4c80f0cc78.jpgcervical1a.thumb.jpg.9fc3352eb4fa10eac98dbb9eabafa88a.jpgCervical1.thumb.jpg.40659bad7f82c2c6e8e96ff7a22e92c4.jpg

 

Edmontosaurus, a big Chevron, 14.5" long

 

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Edmontosaurus, Metacarpal III - 10" Long

MetacarpalXX.thumb.jpg.c21fd5205d48cb5afcc6c3d2a0bd0b3d.jpg

 

I was cleaning this Edmontosaurus Digit IV -1 toe bone and a surprise hole popped up became more interesting as I continued clearing it.  It has the outer shape and interior profile/curvature of a tyrannosaurid tooth.  Is it predation ?  I went to show it to Pete Larsen but he was at the Denver show..  Will see him at Tucson.  There was no predation marks on the opposite side so not sure.  The preservation is pretty solid.

 

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Edmontosaurus - Left Dentary about 23 inches long.

 

556474133_Hadrojawlarge.jpg.d16da31b4adfe9fefa276118f79fc4e6.jpg

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All these bones are from the Hadrosaur Edmontosaurus annectens 

 

My favorite find a juvie foot ungual

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P9170009.thumb.JPG.b29b50f2757043bd10c2cdf6ec7ed9a8.JPGP9170010.thumb.JPG.8076696fc149f0104c6f3b3b43d5d1bc.JPG

 

A Radius - about 24" LongP9190048.thumb.JPG.3bf4acac4831fb55b835ece998cbe9cd.JPGP9190050.thumb.JPG.0fd2d8210221e2e9658b64694f17ce96.JPG

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A Carpal

P9200065.thumb.JPG.6f9409e7705435d260fd6aa78c3c2ce8.JPGP9200067.thumb.JPG.d622c7de898c578ce22be904763e1644.JPGP9200068.thumb.JPG.35060d90ca8c962446834652271bb0e2.JPG

 

A short Rib

P9240157.thumb.JPG.bb75b223a9183ca102fb80306b39a697.JPG

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P9240161.thumb.JPG.119c0f9d1de5d2a5fcec02f383c81942.JPG

 

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A slightly smaller second radius - 22 inches long

P9210087.thumb.JPG.6540151de865a83b9acbda8311239195.JPG

P9210088.thumb.JPG.d1159d4abb8a2f1e34a0e1eb0df71af4.JPGP9210089.thumb.JPG.861b1230ad6ec2daa616d780488eb4f1.JPG

 

A juvie maxilla with teeth -  11 inches long

P9220105.JPG.ddb69008897281f52f6c78929e33a1f6.JPG

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A nice size Humerus

P9230123.thumb.JPG.c181aec85bd4ef99e0f520f67cb2b6b2.JPGP9230132.JPG.83dda278d270acc6d1e57923904cb78e.JPG

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 A  Fibula 27 3/4 inches long P9230147.thumb.JPG.b7843166ea2d76a171d28c5450d7407a.JPG P9230149.thumb.JPG.2ea943e8b87106ebb411928532954dfb.JPGP9240150.thumb.JPG.2d09167b0cab91972db96c2ba35883e0.JPG

 

A caudal Vertebra

P9170022.thumb.JPG.c7ad167c6f991326411dd58036e0901f.JPGP9170023.thumb.JPG.b15e2093159ba61685aefee3e37a26cd.JPG

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Metatarsal.  digit II

Had no clue for quite a while what it was....turned out to be a very difficult extraction because how it was sitting.  It was upright with the thin fan proximal end on the bottom.  All the weight was on the top at an angle.   Came out perfectly after about 3 hours.

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Small carpal

P9170004.thumb.JPG.d116b687189516820e9d628d6a5f1f12.JPGP9170005.thumb.JPG.40acebbf0d8d5ff0c896d394c6dfa5ac.JPGP9170006.JPG.5f7545c1b1138f4bdfaada0dc43c80ab.JPG

 

A big dorsal spine

P9180028.thumb.JPG.37450f393e07ba55465b527bcbef7708.JPGP9180044.thumb.JPG.0c06f7e47d07b797da404888daf1ae14.JPG

 

Cervical Spine  - 

P9210074.thumb.JPG.4b1c413a594828455e928caddc7dc788.JPGP9210075.thumb.JPG.1f44872e984b2e8daef4292a8386e9a1.JPG

 

 

Caudals

IMG_0197.thumb.JPG.80c310d5aec9f6474635e385388d385b.JPG

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Some teeth

Sorry just took some quick photos - big one are over 1 inch

 

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Tyrannosaurid teeth - largest 1.5 inches Nanotyrannus on left IMG_0207.thumb.JPG.a10eef5d18150b3f01fab03088f4361e.JPG

Interesting T rex tooth.. its all natural ...must have interesting story how it arrived in this condition

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Nanotyrannus and an Acheroraptor 

IMG_0212.thumb.JPG.bb3eb33bd8ce651258fd8f67f775a3e9.JPG

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Big centrum

P9220118.thumb.JPG.7a022eb17628620d20a0bb0427283248.JPG

P9230120.thumb.JPG.b99b10b57e62674db1ce0ce86342601a.JPG

 

Another centrum

P9230121.thumb.JPG.e9b4e6fa8f7e0c941377b10b347be1fe.JPGP9230122.thumb.JPG.c50aafa0b6e30636fefdd9fb3ae5a61a.JPG

 

 

I've said may times that an adult Edmontosaurus was the largest dinosaur in the Hell Creek.  Here is a center toe bone that was found.  The proximal end was 7 1/4 inches wide.  Largest anyone of us ever have seen 

 

P9180046.JPG.2cfcd21af041d37dd4334cae0ea8685a.JPG

 

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Awesome report! Just unimaginable,  the amount of dinosaur material you've again found on one trip! I can only dream of finding so much vertebrate material on one excursion! :o

 

Thanks for sharing! Very educational! :default_clap2:

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'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett

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Wow! 

 

I've been meaning to ask, are you a professional paleontologist, or do you just so happen to know some amazing spots? I can personally only dream of finding dinosaur bones, but you seem to rake them in. 

 

You're clearly extremely knowledgeable.  

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12 minutes ago, Neanderthal Shaman said:

Wow! 

 

I've been meaning to ask, are you a professional paleontologist, or do you just so happen to know some amazing spots? I can personally only dream of finding dinosaur bones, but you seem to rake them in. 

 

You're clearly extremely knowledgeable.  

Thanks, Just a crazy fanatical dino collector that has been blessed and very lucky to have an opportunity to collect in very cool locations.  My experience is all self taught over 25 years.  

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2 hours ago, Nimravis said:

Cool finds Frank, this is my favorite.

 

07676031-7DCF-4E19-96AC-723ECD8B5C7F.thumb.jpeg.ed5e941d6d032c3a653c04b3e92a3f40.jpeg

Thanks, These cervicals are special, we find very few that are complete.  Most are just  isolated centrums or spines.

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Thank you for the detailed trip report, it's very nice seeing the extraction process

 

On a side note, are you following a specific horizon or do you find specimens throughout the layers?

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1 hour ago, Phevo said:

Thank you for the detailed trip report, it's very nice seeing the extraction process

 

On a side note, are you following a specific horizon or do you find specimens throughout the layers?

 

The material collected in this trip comes from an Edmontosaurus bonebed deposited in one event.  The layer is around 30 -36 inches.   Material is found through the deposit at all levels.   

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  • 1 month later...

Wow.  I missed this post.  Super jealous of this incredible site you have to work.  On your possible predation mark, I tend towards it being pathological or or other injury.  I cant work out how a single Rex tooth would impact the bone so severely without any other marks from surrounding teeth.

 

I'm curious what time frame you are calling you "fall" hunts.  Ive seen a lot terrible weather with snow, ice and ferocious winds up there in the fall months. Just curious how late you push that weather envelope gamble.

"There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin

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15 minutes ago, hadrosauridae said:

Wow.  I missed this post.  Super jealous of this incredible site you have to work.  On your possible predation mark, I tend towards it being pathological or or other injury.  I cant work out how a single Rex tooth would impact the bone so severely without any other marks from surrounding teeth.

 

I'm curious what time frame you are calling you "fall" hunts.  Ive seen a lot terrible weather with snow, ice and ferocious winds up there in the fall months. Just curious how late you push that weather envelope gamble.

I do plan on showing that bone to Pete Larsen at the Tucson show to get his opinion.  

 

I make two trips a year to this site. Spring:  late May or early June.  Can be hot and wet.  This year was dry but very very hot and very windy.

 

Fall,  mid September.  Weather is usually fantastic as was the case this year.  Cool in the AM and 70-80 by afternoon. Ideal collecting weather.

 

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A very large adult center metatarsal.   An example of how large this hadrosaur can get.  Not the largest from the site that was around 18".

 

1950250304_MetatarsalIII.thumb.jpg.cb1798e270cb20ff6287495dd117988d.jpg

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