The Paleo-Incident Project

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The Montana Dueling Dinosaurs - Introduction

In the summer of 2006, a team of experienced fossil prospectors were out looking for new sites to excavate. They picked a small area of the Judith River Formation (75-78mya) to explore. The team had no idea how important their discovery was that day. Today, the "Montana Dueling Dinosaurs" are being prepared at the CK Preparations lab in Fort Peck, Montana.

(The image to the left is of the MDD in the quarry. The sketch to the far left shows the fossils more clearly.)

Current Information (Posted 2/4/08) The Montana Dueling Dinosaurs In 2006, a team of private fossil collectors from Montana were prospecting south-west of Jordan Montana. They were looking in an area that contained a small outcrop of the Judith River Formation. The team discovered an herbivore hip exposed. Excavation began on the site which lasted for two months. By the end of the excavation, a Ceratopsian and a Tyrannosaurid were exposed. Both specimens were articulated and near 100% complete. Sediments in the quarry led the team to believe that the two dinosaurs were buried together at the same time. The site also led the team to believe that the two dinosaurs may have been interacting before they were buried. The specimens were jacketed using plaster and burlap and removed from the quarry. They were then transported to Fort Peck Montana for the preparation and casting processes. CK Preparations headed up the preparation in Fort Peck. The specimens have been surface prepared, exposing the top half of the two dinosaurs. CKP is in the process of identifying the two dinosaurs, which has turned out to be a difficult task. Currently, it is believed that the Tyrannosaurid is an Aublysodon, which is based on the unserrated premaxilla teeth. Aublysodon is a species that has been under debate among paleontologists for several years since very little fossil material is available. The main basis for this species is the premaxilla teeth. Several paleontologists believe that the unserrated premaxilla teeth that are found are from other immature Tyrannosaurids, not Aublysodon. It currently is believed that the MDD Tyrannosaurid is an adult, based on the thickness of the compact bone in the femur, size of the skull in proportion to the body, and advanced healing in pathology on the left hand. There is still a debate over the identification. Several people, including academic paleontologists, are working on the identification process further. The Ceratopsian is proving to be just as difficult to identify. Based on its size and skull features (no postorbital or nasal horn cores) the specimen may turn out to be a Pachyrhinosaurus, however it does not fit well with this dinosaur. Pachyrhinosaurus is supposed to have a large rugose growth over the nasal and horn cores on the frill. This specimen has neither. It could be that this represents sexual dimorphism within the species. If Pachyrhinosaurus is ruled out, it is probable that the specimen is a new species of Ceratopsian. Whatever the two specimens turn out to be, they will be the most complete ever found. Another important aspect of the two dinosaurs is the possible interaction before burial. The Ceratopsian has teeth imbedded in is back and neck. The teeth match the same species of dinosaur as the Tyrannosaurid. Over 14 teeth were found associated with the Ceratopsian. The Tyrannosaurid is missing several teeth from its dentition, (over 50%). Visibly, several teeth found associated with the Ceratopsian match the broken teeth missing from the Tyrannosaurid. To match them perfectly, the teeth and roots still in position will need to be cross-sectioned. Another unique feature of the site is the thickness of the sediments containing the fossils. Normally in fossil quarries, there is very apparent cross-bedding of the sediments. The cross-bedding represents time in the burial process. A layer is put down at one time and then another layer at another time. Each layer can be analyzed to tell explain how the sediments were placed. The layer of sediment in the MDD quarry is over 12 feet thick with no apparent cross bedding. The layer is also totally void of any animal or pant life. This suggests that a massive layer of sediment was placed at one time. With the delicate nature of the preservation, this probably rules out water being the primary carrier of the sediments. It is proposed that the sediments were deposited by a dry event, like a cliff collapse. Skin impressions on the hip of the Ceratopsian, large distances between vertebra, and no apparent signs of scavenging contribute to the idea of a rapid burial. Much more information will be coming from this outstanding discovery in the future as both private and public paleontologists view and study these specimens.

Learn more about the preparation team                                                                                                 www.ckpreparations.com