Tyrannosaurus Rex Bone - Authentic Hell Creek Fossil Specimen

A T. rex Bone Fossil From the Final Age of the Dinosaurs

This T. rex bone fossil is a genuine fragment of Tyrannosaurus rex. It was recovered from private land in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. It measures 0.50 to 0.75 in (1.25 to 2 cm). It arrives in a glass-topped riker case.

Product Details

• SKU: 80-112-0015-201-36
• Specimen: T. rex bone fossil, a genuine Tyrannosaurus Rex bone fragment
• Specimen size: 0.50 in to 0.75 in (1.25 cm to 2 cm)
• Formation: Hell Creek Formation, South Dakota (private land)
• Display: Glass-topped riker case, 4 in x 3 in x 1 in
• Includes: Certificate of authenticity and informational card
• Note: Each fragment varies in size and shape

The Animal Behind the Bone

The Smithsonian's T. rex, known as the Nation's T. rex, was about 38 feet long. It was a young adult of roughly 18 years. T. rex reached full size in under 20 years.

Forward-facing eyes may have given it better depth perception than most predatory dinosaurs. Large olfactory bulbs suggest a good sense of smell. Any Tyrannosaurus Rex bone is a piece of that animal.

Where This T. rex Bone Fossil Was Found

A Hell Creek T. rex roamed a warm, humid floodplain beside the Western Interior Seaway. Rivers laid down the clays, mudstones, and sandstones that now hold its bones. Barnum Brown named the formation in 1907. It spans the end of the Cretaceous about 66 million years ago.

Real dinosaur bone like this is rare outside museums. Browse more in our Prehistoric Collection and our Natural History Collection.

Display and Care

Keep the riker case away from direct sun and moisture. The informational card sits beside the fragment and doubles as the certificate. Real dinosaur bone is brittle, so handle the case by its edges.

About the First T. rex Finds

Paleontologist Barnum Brown found the first partial T. rex skeleton in Montana in 1902. Henry Fairfield Osborn named the species in 1905. Hell Creek T. rex fossils remain the best known.

For More Reading from the Web

• Meet the T. rex that now stands in Washington. Tyrannosaurus rex - Smithsonian Fact Sheet