This Is a BEAUTIFUL, Top Quality tooth from Nanotyrannus lancensis from the Hell Creek Formation in Carter County, Montana, USA! The tooth has INCREDIBLE serrations front and back, a fantastic serrated tip, and a partial root with no repair or restoration! A beautiful tooth on its own, it also has an extraordinarily rare characteristic. A unique pathology only seen on Tyrannosaur teeth called a split carina! The carinae are basically the edges of meat eating dinosaur teeth. The lines on the edge of the tooth that the serrations are on that faced the front and the back. Usually, meat eating dinosaur teeth have one on each side. But this one has what is called a split carina where the carina splits into 2 on one side. You can see it on the outer curve, a line of serrations that splits into 2! Not much in known about what causes this with the leading theory being a genetic mutation. What is known is that this is extremely rare with only a small percentage of Nanotyrannus teeth being found with it! An incredibly rare feature on an already incredible tooth! It measures .69 inches (1.76 cm) slant length and comes in a 1 inch gem jar for easy transport and display!
Nanotyrannus is a truly fascinating story both evolutionarily and historically. Found alongside its much larger cousin, the infamous T-rex, paleontologist have long debated whether Nanotyrannus is a distinct species or just juvenile T-rexes. This fierce debate continues today, with many paleontologist subscribing to either side. If Nanotyrannus is a valid species, it represents a strange turn in Tyrannosaur evolution. During the last 15 million years of the Cretaceous period, the Tyrannosaurs of North America were getting progressively larger, a process which culminated in T-rex. Nanotyrannus however lived, alongside T-rex and yet was much smaller (about 16 feet long) than the proceeding Tyrannosaurs which it itself evolved from!
A great piece from a fascinating North American dinosaur at the center of one of the greatest debates in the history of paleontology with a truly unique property worthy of any fossil collection!
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Species: Nanotyrannus lancensis
Size: .69 inches (1.76 cm) slant length
Found: Carter County, Montana, USA
Formation: Hell Creek Formation
Age: 68-66 million years old
Repair: None