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My Jurassic Park - Deinonychus & Cloverly Formation


Troodon

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The Cloverly Formation is a geological formation of the early Cretaceous in the Aptian to Albian age. Although all my specimens are from Montana material can be found in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.

The most famous dinosaur in the Jurassic Park movie is found here, Deinonychus antirrhopus, however its not on steroids as it was portrayed in the movie. The size of an adult is still uncertain because of the lack of enough skeleton remains but of the ones found its estimated to be around 180 pound (81Kg) and about 10 feet (3m) long. There are estimates by some of a larger dinosaur so forum members can help science by finding the big one. :D

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Deinonychus was a dromaeosaurid but not the apex predator in the Cloverly that may have been been Acrocanthosaurus but I'm not aware of what material has been found. The favorite food source for Deinonychus appears to be an Iguanodont type dinosaur Tenontosaurus tilletti. This is based on the fact of carcasses being found with Deinonychus teeth around them. One of my specimens supports this conclusion.

Deinonychus teeth being a dromaeosauruid are small, will show two, both around 14mm. The one on the right has a cool wear pattern and is not broken.

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Claws are always what everyone talks about with this dinosaur. Unfortunately Hollywood has given everyone the wrong impression and they are just not that big or impressive, its a dromaeosaurid.

Hand Claw at 2 1/2"

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One of my coolest specimens in my collection is an articulated foot from a Deinonychus. At about 15" (38cm) long with only one phalange missing on digit II. Very complete and with very little repair work done to it. The Killing claw (Digit II) is 3 3/4" (9.5cm) long.

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Another theropod in this fauna is an Oviraptorid called Microvenator celer. Uncertain how large they are just because of the lack of material but estimates have it around 3 meters long. Being an Oviraptorid there are no teeth but cool claws. I have one in my collection that is 2 7/8" long

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A final theropod I would like to share is a hand claw from an unknown species. Looks like some type of dromaeosaurid.

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Tenontosaurus tilletti material in my collection is well represented, lets first start with articulated legs that are 32" tall. Just missing one femur, very bony legs :P

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A complete articulated arm at 24" long. Looks like its ready to grab you :P

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Some Jaw sections

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Not a lot of ankylosaur material found but one Nodosaurid is Sauropelta edwardsorum. I just have a couple of specimens but cannot conclusively say its from this Nodosaur there may be others.

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This may be a surprise for some but there is a Sauropod in this formation its a titanosauriformes called Sauroposeidon proteles. Just have a tooth to prove it exist :) Its a peg type at 1 1/8"

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Finally a new discovery just described last year was a Ceratopsian called Aquilops americanus. Tooth is 5/8" long

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Back to Tenontosaurus here is a vert column with tendons. What makes this a pretty cool specimen is there is a Deinonychus tooth beside the tendons. No it was not placed there, found that way. :wub:

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Wow, beautiful collection! Love the deinonychus stuff, especially the articulated foot!

"Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you" Job 12:8

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Lovely stuff as always. I wonder why Cloverly Formation stuff aren't seen in the market more often.

Looking forward to meeting my fellow Singaporean collectors! Do PM me if you are a Singaporean, or an overseas fossil-collector coming here for a holiday!

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Very simple, not a lot of exposures, its difficult to find "stuff" so diggers do not focus on low payoff areas. When material is found most goes quickly to private collectors or sold to museums and never makes it to the open market. A digger friend of mine found a very well preserved Deinonychus and it did not take long before a museum bought it.

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Well, that cetainly is a collection to be envious of. :P

Good stuff! And informative too.

Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite

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Amazing pieces, Troodon.

Who does your prep? I can't even imagine the hours that went into prepping your collection.

~Charlie~

"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK
->Get your Mosasaur print
->How to spot a fake Trilobite
->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG

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Amazing pieces, Troodon.

Who does your prep? I can't even imagine the hours that went into prepping your collection.

Thanks, for the specimens found I try to do all the cleaning myself and if there is repair I use a preparer in South Dakota who is near The Black Hills Institute.

Thank you for sharing again Frank. Please keep it up!

I've got a few more to do. Thanks
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Thanks, for the specimens found I try to do all the cleaning myself and if there is repair I use a preparer in South Dakota who is near The Black Hills Institute.I've got a few more to do. Thanks

White River Preparium?

Looking forward to meeting my fellow Singaporean collectors! Do PM me if you are a Singaporean, or an overseas fossil-collector coming here for a holiday!

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Yep

Oh cool. I heard good things about them.

I just sent an egg to Sandra Gerken. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Looking forward to meeting my fellow Singaporean collectors! Do PM me if you are a Singaporean, or an overseas fossil-collector coming here for a holiday!

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Long trip ahead for that egg. Sandy should do a good job. I'm heading tomorrow to SD for my fall dig and will see her on Friday to pick up a couple of items. I will ask her to take special attention to your egg. You have no one in Singapore that can do this type of work?

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Long trip ahead for that egg. Sandy should do a good job. I'm heading tomorrow to SD for my fall dig and will see her on Friday to pick up a couple of items. I will ask her to take special attention to your egg. You have no one in Singapore that can do this type of work?

Thanks man. Oh yes Sandra said it's a good egg, we have high hopes for it.

There are no fossil-preppers in Singapore. Any cleaning done here is usually done ourselves. If this egg goes well, I'll send her some more stuff; I have a Kaprosuchus tooth in need of prep.

Looking forward to meeting my fellow Singaporean collectors! Do PM me if you are a Singaporean, or an overseas fossil-collector coming here for a holiday!

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  • 1 year later...

When I read the title I said to myself ``It will be amazing if he have Deinonychus killing claw`` but you have a whole foot with killing claw,wow!

Your collection is truly private museum.

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  • 11 months later...

I'm into dinosaurs but never have seen a private collection like this from the Cloverly..  That Deinonychus foot foot is incredibly rare.   Thanks for sharing.   

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