Natural History
Natural History
No reserve
Lot Closed
December 3, 07:11 PM GMT
Estimate
12,000 - 14,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
The Complete Femur of an Allosaurus
Allosaurus jimmadseni
Late Jurassic (approx. 150 million years ago)
Dana Quarry, Ten Sleep, Wyoming, United States
22 inches (56 cm) in length. 23¼ inches tall on custom stand.
A nearly complete and well-preserved thighbone (right femur) belonging to a young adult Allosaurus. Shaft anteriorly and posteriorly compressed during fossilization. Restored lateral crack, minor restorations to distal ends of both condyles as well as proximal end of trochanter.
Faster and less bulky than a T. rex, but larger and more powerful than a Velociraptor, Allosaurus was easily amongst the most physically intimidating dinosaurs. With a total body length of 30 feet (9 meters), weights approaching 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg), and three large hand claws (as opposed to T. rex's two), you'd be hard-pressed to find a more perfectly proportioned killing machine.
Stalking stegosaurs, ornithopods, and even small sauropods, Allosaurus used muscular legs, serrated teeth, and machete-like jaws to secure its spot atop the late Jurassic North American food chain. Scientific debate continues to rage with respect to the hunting strategies these carnivores employed—some paleontologists believe Allosaurus was an intelligent, social creature that hunted in packs, while others theorize a more solitary existence. Either way, without the use of swift and muscular legs anchored by femora like the sculptural specimen offered here, their search for food would have proven vastly more difficult.