Description
This is a Crushed Triceratops Metatarsal that I did the best I could on.
This Dinosaur foot bone was discovered among a jumble of Triceratops bones in the badlands just North of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.
Because Dinosaur bones are so fragile sometimes it is impossible or nearly impossible to repair them. Because this Crushed Triceratops Metatarsal was damaged during deposition it was very difficult to repair it. The second photo is of the back side of the metatarsal. Because it is so badly damaged I left much of the matrix behind it to stabilize it. During the time of deposition perhaps another dinosaur stepped on the bone and crushed it. It was then buried by sediment and the fossilization process started.
I cleaned off as much matrix as I could from the front of the metatarsal so that it would be presentable. I left matrix on the back of the bone as a stabilizing element to prevent any further damage. This is only one half of the dinosaur bone because the other half was even more damaged than this. I put vynac on the bone, a special glue we use to stabilize the bone.
This Crushed Triceratops Metatarsal is small as far as metatarsals go, but half of it is still 7 inches long.
