Dinosaurs under the Big Sky
Table of Contents
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1. Introduction
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1
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Amateur Paleontology
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3
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Who Owns the Land and the Fossils?
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4
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Recording Your Discoveries
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5
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The Purpose of Museums
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8
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Monetary Value of Dinosaur Fossils
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10
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Scientific Language and Classification
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11
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Latin and Greek, The Languages of Paleontology
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11
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Classification and the Relationships of Dinosaurs
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12
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2. Stories in the Rocks
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16
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Geological Time
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16
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Montana's Geology
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19
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Taphonomy
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28
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Articulated Skeletons
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30
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Associated Skeletal Remains
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31
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Bonebeds
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32
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Microsites
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34
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Isolated Bones
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35
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Preservation of Dinosaur Fossils
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36
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Skeletal Remains
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36
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Soft Tissue
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37
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Footprints
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39
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Eggs and Nests
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40
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Coprolites and Gizzard Stones
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43
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3. History of Dinosaur Collecting in Montana
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44
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4. Mesozoic History of Montana and Vicinity
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60
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Triassic Time, Scythian Stage
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61
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Jurassic Time, Kimmeridgian Stage
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61
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Cretaceous Time
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63
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Early Cretaceous Time, Aptian/Albian Stages
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63
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Middle Cretaceous Time, Turonian Stage
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68
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Late Cretaceous Time, Santonian Stage
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69
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Late Cretaceous Time, Campanian Stage
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70
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Late Cretaceous Time, Maastrichtian Stage
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76
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Latest Cretaceous Time, Maastrichtian Stage
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77
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5. Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Fossils of Montana
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81
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Jurassic Dinosaurs of Montana
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85
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Late Jurassic, Morrison Formation
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86
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Ornithischian Dinosaurs
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87
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Saurischian Dinosaurs
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89
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Nondinosaurian Vertebrate Fossils from the Morrison Formation of Montana
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92
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Cretaceous Dinosaurs of Montana
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92
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Early Cretaceous, Cloverly Formation
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93
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Ornithischian Dinosaurs
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93
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Saurischian Dinosaurs
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97
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Common Nondinosaurian Fossils from the Cloverly Formation
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99
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Late Cretaceous, Two Medicine Formation
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100
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Ornithischian Dinosaurs
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101
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Hadrosauridae (Duck-bill Dinosaurs)
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101
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Pachycephalosauridae (Dome-headed Dinosaurs)
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106
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Protoceratopsidae
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107
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Ceratopsidae
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108
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Ankylosauridae (Armored Dinosaurs)
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110
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Saurischian Dinosaurs
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111
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Common Nondinosaurian Vertebrate Fossils from the Two Medicine Formation
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116
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Late Cretaceous, Judith River Formation
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117
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Ornithischian Dinosaurs
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118
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Saurischian Dinosaurs
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122
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Common Nondinosaurian Vertebrate Fossils from the Judith River Formation
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124
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Late Cretaceous, Livingston Group - Miners Creek, Billman Creek,
and Hoppers Formations
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125
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Late Cretaceous, St. Mary River Formation
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126
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Nondinosaurian Vertebrate Fossils from the St. Mary River Formation
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127
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Late Cretaceous, Hell Creek Formation
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127
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Ornithischian Dinosaurs
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128
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"Hypsilophodontid" Grade
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128
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Pachycephalosauridae
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129
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Ceratopsidae
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130
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Hadrosauridae
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132
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Ankylosauridae
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134
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Saurischian Dinosaurs
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135
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Common Nondinosaurian Vertebrate Fossils from the Hell Creek Formation
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138
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6. Pseudofossils: Dinosaur Bone and Egg Look-Alikes
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141
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Concretions
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141
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Septarian Nodules
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143
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Geodes
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144
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Odd Rocks
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144
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7. Collection, Preservation, and Curation of Vertebrate Fossils
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145
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Collection and Preservation
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145
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Curation
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148
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8. Museums and Dinosaur Dig Sites in Montana
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151
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Montana Museums that Display Dinosaur Fossils
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152
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Where You Can See Dinosaur Fossils Being Excavated
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153
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Appendix I. Some State and Federal Agencies that Manage
Land in Montana
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154
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Appendix II. Skeletal Details
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155
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General Skeletal Information
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155
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Skull
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157
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Vertebrae
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162
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Front Leg
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166
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Hind Leg
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168
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Glossary
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170
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Additional Reading
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178
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Popular and Scientific Books that Refer to Montana Dinosaurs
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178
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Books About Dinosaurs from Other States
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179
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Scientific Publications about Montana Dinosaurs
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179
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Index
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189
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