Can You help me identify this dinosaur fossil

[TJNTM]

Hello, I bought this dinosaur fossil a while back and have tried to figure out it's id. I was told it is from Alberta and think it's part of leg bone but not sure if it is hadrosaur or theropod? It is pretty large about the size of a football that is why I am thinking it is part of a leg bone.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Fossildude19]

Welcome to the Forum.  

Can we get views from all sides of the fossil?

Also, please put a ruler or tape measure in the photo for scale. 

Regards, 

[Plax]

I'm thinking that Alberta vertebrate fossils may not be sold? Could be wrong and welcome enlightenment.

[TJNTM]

I added a few more pics that I just took. It is a bit smaller than a football but I put a measuring tape beside it. I have been told it is ok to own Alberta fossils as long as it was collected before a certain date... I think the laws are more on going out and digging dinosaurs yourself without a permit which is not allowed.

[TJNTM]

It won't let me add anymore photos right now.

[PFOOLEY]

Perhaps a ceratopsian vertebra.

[Ridgehiker]

You have a bone end. Not possible to tell the dino family.

 

The preservation is typical of Horseshoe Canyon Formation...if you look on a map this formation is most common exposed along the Red Deer River from Drumheller up to Dry Island Buffalo Jump.

 

The reddish brown coating is what we call 'ironstone'. 

 

Specimens like yours are fairly common eroding out of deposits that were from river floods that that flowed into the inland sea.  

 

Re Alberta laws...it depends.  If someone is selling fossils from Alberta it 'may' not be legal. However the specimen may have a certificate of ownership if collected prior to the 1980's.  If someone outside of Alberta is selling Alberta fossils, then things get murky.   Ask for the certificate if buying an Alberta fossil! 

 

[TJNTM]

Would you know what bone this is the end too?

[TJNTM]

Here is another photo of it

[Ridgehiker]

I cant tell if the lateral side of a hadrosar femur or the end of of a theropod bone. It depends how deep the circular atrachment point is.  The second photo looks theropod. Theropod bones are hollow but often the bone has been filled tight with sediment.

 

anyways, look up Tyrannosaur bone ends and Hadrosaur femur ends and try to orient your specimen to these. You may be able to tell if you have a lot of surface coating that is subduing the theropod shape. 

[TJNTM]

Could it be the end of a Tyrannosaur humerus as so far it looks close to that.

[jpc]

No, not a  humerus.  I think it is a toe bone.

[TJNTM]

I think you might be right I looked at pictures of Tyrannosaur Toe Bones and it looks very similar to the ones I looked up. Thank you so much I will be posting other bones that I can't identify soon.

[fossiling]

But be careful, the tyrannosaurids are pretty hard to tell apart. It's best to label it as tyrannosaurid indet. than as tyrannosaurus sp. 

[TJNTM]

Ok thank you so much everyone.