2.6" Edmontosaurus Fossil Finger Dight Bone Lance Creek Cretaceous Dinosaur WY
Location: Lance Creek Formation, Wyoming (Private Land Origin)
Weight: 3.1 Ounces
Fossil Dimensions: 2.6 Inches Long, 2.1 Inches Wide, 1.6 Inches Thick
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Edmontosaurus, whose name translates to "lizard from Edmonton," represents a hadrosaurid dinosaur species dating to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 71 to 65 million years ago. Mature individuals typically measure up to nine meters in length, with some of the more substantial specimens extending to thirteen meters. Weighing between three and 3.5 tonnes, Edmontosaurus ranks among the most sizable hadrosaurids known to science.
Edmontosaurus could grind even the toughest foodstuffs back and forth across its teeth using its muscular, flexible cheeks.
To accommodate so many teeth, they were tightly packed into "banks" of up to sixty rows, and new teeth continuously grew to replace those lost, similar to sharks. The bones of the upper jaw would flex outward as the lower jaw moved upward, allowing the mandible to grind against it. Typical diet items included conifer needles, seeds, and twigs, which have been found in the fossilized body cavities of Edmontosaurus. It was a herbivore that browsed on trees.
The 1908 discovery in Wyoming was particularly notable because paleontologists actually found fossilized imprints of Edmontosaurus' skin. The rapid drying of the skin and the preservation of its shape in the mud must have left an impression. From these fossils, we know the skin was scaly and leathery, with thigh muscle situated just under the skin of the body. This would give the impression that the leg left the body at the knee, and the entire thigh was covered by skin. This feature also adds to its resemblance to a duck. Additionally, it had numerous tubercles (bumps) on its neck, back, and tail.
Edmontosaurus was primarily bipedal but retained the capability to move on all fours. Its forelimbs were shorter than the hind limbs, yet not so reduced as to preclude quadrupedal locomotion. The forefeet featured two hooved digits accompanied by weight-bearing pads akin to those found in Camarasaurus, while the hind feet bore two hooked toes. The robust bone structure of the lower limbs indicates the presence of powerful musculature supporting both legs and feet. The downward curvature of the spine at the shoulders suggests a low posture, consistent with feeding close to the ground. Although its limbs were strong, Edmontosaurus was relatively slow and lacked significant defensive adaptations, relying instead on acute vision, sharp hearing, and a heightened sense of smell to detect predators early.
