Mystery Solved!

If you’ve followed this blog from the beginning, you may remember that last summer I discovered a mostly complete chevron from the Hell Creek Formation just outside of Glendive, Montana. However, due to the incomplete nature of the bone, and the limited specimens I had access to at the time for use as reference points, I made a mistake in its identification.

You see, ever since its discovery, this bone has bothered me. Something just wasn’t right. This bone, even in its incomplete state, was far too big!

You see, Triceratops reach an average adult length of around 30 feet. But based on the size of this particular bone compared to similar bones on average Triceratops, this “trike” had to have been around 35+ feet in length! Now, a jump from 30 to 35 feet may not seem like much, but if we do the math, that’s a 16.67% increase in length. In general, Triceratops does not have a very thick tail for an animal of its size, and the chevrons only make up a small portion of that overall size (see photo below for reference). Needless to say, this tail bone simply didn’t fit Triceratops—or any ceratopsian for that matter.

Triceratops skeleton
EvaK (GFDL 1.2 or FAL), via Wikimedia Commons

So, what could it be? Well, considering we were working in the Hell Creek Formation in eastern Montana, that left me with only two other options. After eliminating Triceratops from the list, it was clear that this particular rock layer only contains the fossils of two other animals that ever reached the size needed to have a chevron this large: Edmontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex.

Thankfully, deducing which the chevron belonged to was no real trouble. But just to be safe, while I was at the Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum last July, I made sure to take a picture of our chevron next to a similarly sized one from the cast of Stan the T. rex on display there. As I examine the photo (see below), it is readily apparent that the two tail bones do not match. The shaft (the long, pointed part) of the rex’s chevron is too thin and is shaped more like a large ruler; whereas the shaft of the chevron I discovered is much more rounded, like a big pencil!

But, as scientists, it is important to double-check your work and have it reviewed by others. So I hopped on a Zoom call with a friend of mine, Dr. Brian Curtice, a sauropod specialist, and asked him for his opinion. Now, Dr. Curtice doesn’t believe in God or the Bible like we do. However, though he and I have different worldviews, we both study the same dinosaur fossils and are still able to have profitable discussions about the parts of dinosaur paleontology that we DO agree on.

The Verdict

Dr. Curtice, another colleague of his who specializes in hadrosaurs, and I have all come to the conclusion that this chevron belonged to a large hadrosaur, a group popularly nicknamed the duck-billed dinosaurs. Since Edmontosaurus is the only hadrosaur known to be found in the Hell Creek Formation, it takes home the trophy!

Being able to study dinosaurs is a joy and a privilege, and every new discovery makes me admire these amazing reptiles even more! But most importantly, when I think of all the incredible diversity and uniqueness of these animals, it makes me love my God even more! He is the ultimate Artist, the GRAND Creator of all things. Take a look at the second half of Psalm 139:14 which says, “Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well,” and remember to give God all the glory for his awesome creation!

Come back next time to hear more about my ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD OF DINOSAURS!