Hell Creek fossil ID

[Alex S.]

Hey everybody I've been deep diving into this forum for the past couple weeks while restoring this fossil. I found it in the Hell Creek Formation by the Powder River in Montana, on my brother's ranch. It was in the side wall of a run off creek bed. There were no other obvious fossils around it, but the wall was crumbling, so it could have washed downstream.

 

The circumference of the main shaft is 20cm while the circumference of the head is 38cm and the length of the fossil is 40cm.

I am not very familiar with dinosaurs, but it looks to me like it could possibly be the humerus or the femur of something.

Any help would be much appreciated, thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Troodon]

I think its a femur from an

Ornithischian and a good candidate is Thescelosaurus. 

 

BTW its Hell Creek Formation not Hells Creek Fm

[Nanosaurus]

Certainly looks ornithopod, and I agree Thescelosaurus is a good candidate.

[Alex S.]

Thanks for the correction and the possible ID! I'm pretty hooked now so I'll be on here more often.

[jpc]

I agree... small dinosaur femur.  Thescelosaurus is a good candidate, but there are others that it could be...pachycephalosaur for example.  

 

Nice find, but like the dolphin skull posted in another post today, this is a great candidate for a plaster jacket.  They are not difficult to do, and if this had been collected with a jacket, all those missing pieces would still be there.  Not trying to shame you, but rather encourage you to look into it if you plan to keep prospecting this ranch.   : )

 

[Alex S.]

I agree thank you. It's the first fossil I've found and wasn't prepared for it. Next time I go I'll be sure to have everything I need.

[jpc]

I think there are good instructions for plaster jacketing somewhere online. 

 

Have fun.