2.5" Hypacrosaurus Dinosaur Fossil Limb Bone Two Medicine FM Montana COA

Location: Two Medicine Formation, Montana (Private Land Origin)

Weight: 3.7 Ounces

Fossil Dimensions: 2.5 Inches Long, 1.7 Inches Wide, 1.5 Inches Thick

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Hypacrosaurus Dinosaur

Hypacrosaurus, meaning “near the highest lizard,” was a large hadrosaurid dinosaur that lived in late Cretaceous North America. Despite its impressive size—reaching up to nine meters in length—Hypacrosaurus was smaller than apex predators like Tyrannosaurus, which could grow to around twelve meters. Fossil evidence suggests that Hypacrosaurus, along with other hadrosaurs, likely served as prey for tyrannosaurs and related predators such as Albertosaurus. For example, a large bite wound found on an Edmontosaurus shows clear healing, indicating that the attack occurred while the animal was alive rather than on a carcass, providing insight into predator-prey interactions of the era.

Each Hypacrosaurus nest contained approximately twenty eggs, suggesting high reproductive rates to compensate for significant juvenile mortality. While large predators like Tyrannosaurus posed a threat to adult hadrosaurs, smaller predators such as Troodon likely preyed on hatchlings and juveniles, further reducing survival to adulthood.

One of Hypacrosaurus’ most distinctive features is its hollow cranial crest, similar to its relative Corythosaurus but broader and lower in height. This crest confirms its classification as a lambeosaurine hadrosaurid, a group that includes Lambeosaurus. The prevailing hypothesis is that these crests functioned as visual signals, helping different species of hadrosaurs recognize each other, much like the horns and frills seen in ceratopsian dinosaurs.