1.2" Crocodile Fossil Ankle Bone Hell Creek FM Cretaceous Dinosaur Age MT
Location: Hell Creek Formation, Montana (Private Land Origin)
Weight: 0.2 Ounces
Dimensions: 1.2 Inches Long, 0.5 Inches Wide, 0.4 Inches Thick
The item pictured is the one you will receive.
Cretaceous Age through to the Eocene Age
Crocodiles are reptiles belonging to the order Crocodylia. They have been around for millions of years and have evolved into various species over time. During the Cretaceous Age, several crocodile species inhabited the Hell Creek Formation.
During the Cretaceous Period, which spanned approximately 145 to 66 million years ago, the Hell Creek Formation in the United States was home to a rich and diverse array of species, including several types of crocodiles. This iconic formation, stretching across parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, preserves evidence of a terrestrial environment that thrived during the Late Cretaceous, providing a detailed window into the ecosystems that existed at the end of the age of dinosaurs.
One of the most notable crocodiles from the Hell Creek Formation is Deinosuchus, a giant predator that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. It ranks among the largest crocodile-like reptiles ever known, with some individuals reaching lengths of up to 40 feet (12 meters). Deinosuchus had a robust, muscular body, a long snout lined with sharp teeth, and powerful limbs adapted for both swimming and terrestrial movement. As an apex predator, it likely dominated its environment, preying on dinosaurs and other large animals, making it one of the most formidable creatures of its time.
Another crocodile species from the Hell Creek Formation is Borealosuchus, a medium-sized predator of the Late Cretaceous. Smaller and more slender than Deinosuchus, Borealosuchus measured approximately 10–15 feet (3–4.5 meters) in length. Its long, narrow snout was lined with numerous sharp teeth, indicating that it primarily hunted fish and small vertebrates, thriving as a versatile predator in freshwater and near-shore environments.
The third species, Leidyosuchus, was smaller, reaching lengths of about 6–8 feet (1.8–2.4 meters). It had a broad, rounded snout with blunt teeth, suggesting a diet focused on mollusks, crustaceans, and other small aquatic organisms. Though modest in size, Leidyosuchus occupied a specialized ecological niche, playing an important role in the Late Cretaceous ecosystems of the Hell Creek Formation.
