GIANT METATARSAL. ...

Description

GIANT METATARSAL
Diplodocus longus
Jurassic, Kimmeridgian Stage
Morrison Formation, Bone Cabin Quarry, Medicine Bow, Wyoming
The Diplodocus was one of the longest dinosaurs to ever roam the earth, sometimes reaching over 100 feet in length. It had a distinctive long neck and full body, and conforms to what many of us imagine as the "typical" dinosaur shape - huge beasts that were as big as houses. This superb metatarsal is instantly evocative of their enormous size, one of the comparatively small bones that comprise the toe. The fine black coloration is typical of Jurassic fossils from this well-known area, as is the excellent bone texture and superbly three-dimensional preservation. The history of the Bone Cabin Quarry is also fascinating, an abundant source of Jurassic fossils first exploited at the end of the nineteenth century, and so-named for a trapper's cabin made entirely from dinosaur bones that had already been constructed there. This splendid example is not only a superb specimen in its own right but a fine talisman of the history of fossil collecting, and measures 8¼ inches high on a metal display stand.

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