Hiking 'down' into the Badlands. Oldman Formation

[Ridgehiker]

Great weather so back into the Alberta badlands.  This time to the Oldman Formation.This isolated locale is about 30 kms east of Dinosaur Provincial Park.  Age Late Cretaceous (75 million years).  Most exposures here are dominated by the Red Deer River but, instead,  we hiked inland to a maze of steep sided canyons.  I hadn't been here for a couple of years.

 

Please excuse some of the dim photos as light is limited this time of year.

[Ridgehiker]

We had to find a  safe descent  into the Canyon floor and then just follow 'whichever' way the topography led us.  Go with the flow and mark the trail so we can find our way out.

[Ridgehiker]

Eroded bones of dinos, croc, turtle, etc

[Ridgehiker]

Lots of fractured Tyrannosaur teeth and a whole one.

[Ridgehiker]

Vertebrae are common finds. A variety of genera eroding out of the clay This one is slightly unusual. 

[Ridgehiker]

Di found a natural 'house'.  Complete with door and window.  Its good to step back and admire the sculptures....as if nature is an artist.

[Ridgehiker]

Ouch.  This bone saw some munching!  Predated bone material isn't common as most dinos were covered quickly after death by flood sediments, sink holes, etc.

[Ridgehiker]

Some sort of pelvis element?  Very thin like a pizza. Theropod?

 

edited: I thought it was a pelvic  but more likely a scapulacaracoid.

[snakebite6769]

Could be part of the shoulder as well perhaps? Great report, thanks for sharing! Wish I could get out that way and get a tooth. Maybe some day 

[Ridgehiker]

Lots of mammal bones in this canyon. Both pre and post glacier.  The Cretaceous clays erode fast and are reworked, and continues to become the tombs of animals.  Perhaps one day this is where  I'll end up if not diligent out here! 

[Ridgehiker]

There is the usual petrified wood segments  but also a layer of smaller fossilized  compacted plant material. These had fallen into the canyon from above.

[Ridgehiker]

Ankylosaur tail club.  Only the second one I've come across. About the size of a large watermelon. Couple of associated armoured scutes found around the club. Ankylosaur material often comes in bunches.  

 

Ankylosaur scute ( body armour).  It has the typical ridge. 

[Ridgehiker]

'Somebody' is falling apart and eroding out of the clays

[Ridgehiker]

Distal end of a hadrosaur claws emerging.   This canyon seems to preserve a lot of toe bones...perhaps all the dinos had  extra digits.

[Ridgehiker]

Theropod caudal vertebra

[Ridgehiker]

Di finding 'stuff'.

[Ridgehiker]

Silicified modernish mammal vertebra 

[Ridgehiker]

Some more eroding dino bits.

[Ridgehiker]

More bone at various levels. . Its just about everywhere.

[Ridgehiker]

Di standing at a good spot for me to climb up and explore the canyon wall.  Started up and about a quarter of the way to the top took photo of her below.

[Ridgehiker]

Didnt dare crawl over to what looked like a Pachycephalosaur skull cap. I was already out on a ledge with the clay breaking away around me.    Chances were I'd go over the edge or into that bottomless sinkhole...best to live and collect another day.

[Ridgehiker]

Descended to find Di napping.  Will send this one to her grandkids. 

[Ridgehiker]

I like finding freshwater mollusca.  The Unio clams here have exquisite preservation. They are  internal molds of iridescent bluish ironstone.

[Ridgehiker]

Some of the canyon 'feel'.

[Ridgehiker]

...and more