Cycads are ancient seed plants with palm-like fronds that have existed since the Permian Period. During the Mesozoic they were abundant worldwide and formed a major part of the diet of large herbivorous dinosaurs like sauropods and hadrosaurs.

Is this a real plant fossil?

Yes. This is an authentic Cycad fossil from the Lance Formation of Wyoming, approximately 67 million years old. Not a cast.

Are Cycads still alive today?

Yes. Cycads are living fossils - they survived the K-Pg extinction and are still found today in tropical and subtropical regions. However, they are among the most threatened plant groups on Earth today.

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Dinosaur Food Cycad Fossil - Authentic Lance Formation Plant Fossil Specimen

Name: Dinosaur Food Cycad Fossil - Authentic Lance Formation Plant Fossil Specimen
SKU: 80-112-0242-201-40
Price: 29.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Dinosaur Food Cycad Fossil - Authentic Lance Formation Plant Fossil Specimen

SKU:80-112-0242-201-40

$29.00 USD

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In stock

What did the dinosaurs eat? For vast herds of sauropods, ceratopsians, and hadrosaurs, the answer included the Cycad - a palm-shaped, gymnosperm plant that was one of the most important food sources for the largest land animals ever to walk the Earth. Thanks to an incredibly efficient gut microbiome, herbivorous dinosaurs could digest and extract nutrients from these tough, fibrous plants in ways that modern mammals cannot. This authentic Cycad dinosaur food fossil is a piece of a real Cycad plant fossil recovered from the Lance Formation of Wyoming, estimated to be approximately 67 million years old.

The Last Meal of the Cretaceous Herbivores

This is not a cast. This is a genuine plant fossil - a piece of the actual vegetation that sustained the dinosaurs in the final chapter of the Mesozoic. The Lance Formation of Wyoming dates to the very end of the Cretaceous, meaning this Cycad grew alongside T. rex, Triceratops, and the other animals of that final era of the dinosaurs.

The Authentic Cycad Fossil - Food of the Giants

Each specimen includes a Mini Museum certificate of authenticity and informational display card. Explore more in our Prehistoric Collection and our Natural History Collection.