Placenticeras meeki Ammonite

This ammonite fossil is quite ornate with fractal like patterns representing sutures. The ammonite is known as the Placenticeras meeki found in the Pierre Shale Formation of the Badlands of South Dakota, USA. Unfortunately, I did not image it with a ruler but if I recall correctly it was over 10 cm wide.  This animal swam in the Upper Cretaceous (70 million years ago) seas.

The next picture is of a much higher resolution if you want a zoomed in view of the patterns.  The last picture shows the iridescent covering on the other side of the fossil.  Thanks to Mark Palatas for allowing this to be photographed.

Here is a link to flickr showing a very similar one at the South Dakota School of Mines Museum: CLICK HERE

Eucalyptocrinites elrodi Calyx

Super nice fossil specimen of a crinoid calyx called Eucalyptocrinites elrodi. This fossil was found in the Silurian aged Waldron Shale of Indiana.  See more specimens at theWeeks Trilobite site: CLICK HERE

Thanks to Mark Palatas of Louisville for allowing these photographs.

Tyrannosaurus rex "Tyrant Lizard King"

Hail to the king baby! Once thought to be the largest land walking carnivore to ever exist on the planet, this creature could weigh up to 6400 kg and stretch almost 13 meters. Jaws lined with over 50 serrated teeth, this animal became one lean, mean, herbivore crunching machine roaming what is now southwest Canada and western United States. They lived about 68 to 66 million years ago (Cretaceous Period, Mesozoic Era).

This fossil cast is of the Tyrannosaurus rex fossil at the Museum of the Rockies (MOR 980). The cast (CM 81336; acq. 2007) is on display next to the T.rex holotype (partially seen in bottom photo to the left) at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dinosaurs in Their Time exhibit. The original fossil (aka "Peck's Rex") was discovered by J. Keith Rigby, Jr. at the University of Notre Dame in 1997.