Dromaeosaur Dinosaur Tooth from Hell Creek

Description: Presented is a well-preserved “rounder” type “Raptor” tooth.

Dromaeosauridae is a family of bird-like theropod dinosaurs. They were small to medium-sized, feathered carnivores that flourished in the Cretaceous Period. In informal usage they are often called "raptors” (after Velociraptor), a term popularized by the film Jurassic Park. The distinctive dromaeosaurid body plan helped to rekindle theories that dinosaurs may have been active, fast, and closely related to birds. Like other theropods, dromaeosaurids were bipedal; that is, they walked on their hind legs. They also had very long tails.

I recently purchased a large lot of dinosaur, reptile and mammal material from our primary collector. He lives in Montana and has over fifteen years of field collecting experience. Ten days were spent in obtaining this lot. The fossils were discovered in Cretaceous stream channel deposits. Some were surface collected as float, many were partially eroded out of the low-lying surrounding gullies and bad lands. The work of discovery continued upon his return home. There the specimens had to be cleaned and identified, a long and tedious process that lasted many days. Upon completion, all the specimens were photographed, notated and submitted to us at the Fossil Mall for consideration of purchase. Needless to say, we bought the whole batch.

A word regarding the legality of these fossils. Our provider only collects on private ranch and farmlands of Montana and South Dakota. His relationships with these landowners have been cultivated over many years of door knocking and often difficult negotiations. Our collector, in the beginning stage of a possible collecting arrangement, cannot even contemplate a deal until he has walked the land holdings to discover if there are ancient remains to be found.