PATHOLOGICAL TYRANNOSAURID TOOTH . ...

Description

PATHOLOGICAL TYRANNOSAURID TOOTH
Nanotyrannus lancensis
Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian Age
Hell Creek Formation, Wibaux Co., eastern Montana, USA
The genus Nanotyrannus was suggested in 1988 for a small Tyrannosaurid skull. It was a smaller animal than the similar Tyrannosaurus rex, but paleontologists remain in disagreement as to whether or not it represents a juvenile of that species, or deserves classification as its own genus. These arguments hinge on the fused skull bones of a 1942 specimen, indicating an adult, and the 2001 discovery of remains from the same species - nicknamed "Jane" - that suggest a juvenile T. rex. In either case, it is believed that they hunted in packs, with teeth from multiple Nanotyranni having been found in herbivorous dinosaurs. It is clear from this fine tooth that they were fearsomely efficient carnivores, with a powerful jaw, bristling with these ghastly, flesh-tearing tools. This superb specimen is in a wonderful state of preservation, with a fine gray patination, grain-like texture, enamel-like brown tip and tiny serrations. Most remarkably, however, it bears evidence of an old bite mark, the naturally healed scar still visible. Evocative of the violent world in which these creatures lived, over 65 million years ago, it is a first-class specimen of extra pathological interest, and measures 2¼ inches around the curve, presented in a Riker mount.

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