Museum Of The Rockies Fossil Reveals T. Rex Attack Clues

The Museum of the Rockies is easily one of Bozeman’s top attractions. It is known for rotating exhibits and for being one of the best places in the country to see dinosaur fossils up close. That reputation makes sense. Montana has produced some significant dinosaur discoveries in North America. Now, a new research paper tied to the museum is getting national attention.

The study was led by a doctoral researcher from the University of Alberta and coauthored by the museum’s Curator of Paleontology, John Scannella. Published in the scientific journal PeerJ, the paper details a remarkable fossil find from the Hell Creek Formation in Montana.

The specimen is a largely intact skull of an adult Edmontosaurus. What makes it extraordinary is a broken T-Rex tooth embedded in the dinosaur’s nasal bone. The tooth pierced the top of the skull and extends into the nasal cavity. This is a rare, millions of years old, physical piece of evidence of a real attack between predator and prey.

Researchers believe this fossil provides new insight into how Tyrannosaurus may have attacked and hunted large prey. Tyrannosaurus roamed what is now Montana around 66 million years ago, sharing the landscape with other giants such as Triceratops.

The fossil, cataloged as MOR 1627, is currently on display at the museum. It certainly is a dramatic and unique snapshot of a prehistoric time. The preserved evidence is now helping scientists better understand life at the end of the dinosaur era, and you can see it right here in Bozeman!