Natural History
Natural History
A Pair of Tyrannosaurus rex Vertebrae
Lot Closed
December 3, 07:07 PM GMT
Estimate
8,000 - 10,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A Pair of T. rex Vertebrae
Tyrannosaurus rex
Late Cretaceous, (approx 67 million years ago)
Hell Creek Formation, Garfield County, Montana, United States
5¼ by 5 by 3¾ inches (13.8 x 12.7 x 9.6 cm). 7½ inches on custom stand. 3.7 pounds (1.7 kg); 7½ by 5 by 3½ (19 x 12.7 x 8.8 cm). 7½ inches on custom stand. 2.8 pounds (1.3 kg).
Two caudal vertebrae, the latter is complete with centrum fused neural arches, suggesting the bone belonged to an adult individual. Its neural spines are well-preserved, maintaining both articulating processes (prezygapophysis & postzygapophysis). Minimal restoration.
13 feet (4 m) tall. 40 feet (12.2 m) long. Weighing in at upwards of 8 tons. No animal elicits the combination of fascination, fear, and reverence like that of the "tyrant lizard king", Tyrannosaurus rex.
Considered the greatest apex predator of all time, T. rex combined bone-crushing bite force with strong legs and a robust vertebral frame to dominate the western landscape of late Cretaceous North America. Its skeleton was comprised of more than 60 vertebra, more than half of which were located in its long, flexible tail. These tail vertebrae—like the well-preserved pair offered here—essentially acted as a counter-balance to its robust, five foot (1.5 m) long skull. These skeletal adaptations allowed T. rex to hunt virtually every large dinosaur in its environment, including Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Ornithomimus, Pachycephalosaurus, Edmontosaurus, and even other tyrannosaurs.