0.6" Champsosaurus Gigas Reptile Fossil Vertebrae Cretaceous Hell Creek FM MT COA

Location: Hell Creek Formation, Glendive, Montana (Private Land Origin)

Weight: 0.2 Ounces 

Dimensions: 0.6 Inches Long, 0.6 Inches Wide, 0.5 Inches Thick

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

The item pictured is the one you will receive.

Name: Champsosaurus (Crocodile lizard).

Diet: Carnivore/piscivore.

Size: Depending upon the species, anywhere between 1.5 and 3.5 meters long. Known locations: Canada and the USA. 

Champsosaurus gigas represents a compelling study in convergent evolution—a crocodile-like predator that belonged to the entirely separate Choristodera lineage of diapsid reptiles. Its morphology parallels the modern gharial, featuring an elongated rostrum adapted for piscivorous hunting. The pronounced posterior cranial expansion accommodated substantial adductor musculature, conferring either formidable bite force or rapid jaw closure mechanics for subduing elusive aquatic prey. This taxon emerged from the nineteenth-century "bone wars" between Marsh and Cope, evolving through rigorous paleontological scrutiny into seven recognized extant species. C. gigas distinguished itself as among the largest representatives, attaining lengths exceeding 3.5 meters. This authenticated vertebra from Montana's Hell Creek Formation offers collectors a tangible connection to Cretaceous ecosystems, embodying 150 years of systematic research and taxonomic refinement.