Dueling Dinosaurs

The Dueling Dinosaurs or Montana Dueling Dinosaurs is a fossil specimen originating from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. It consists of the fossilized skeletons of an adolescent Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops horridus entangled with one another, and entombed in sandstone. The "dueling" inference comes from the numerous injuries sustained by both dinosaurs, including a tooth from the Tyrannosaurus embedded within the Triceratops, although it is not known whether they were actually buried fighting one another. Despite the scientific importance of the specimen, it has remained relatively obscure due to a lengthy legal dispute over property rights to the specimen, which has since been resolved. The fossil is currently in the possession of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.[1][2][3][4][5]

Not to be confused with Fighting Dinosaurs.

History

The specimen was originally discovered in 2006 by ranchers Clayton Phipps, Mark Eatman, and Chad O’Connor in Montana. Two different ranching families, the Seversons and the Murrays, owned the land on which the fossils were found. After the fossils and the surrounding rock were excavated, the ranchers unsuccessfully tried to sell the fossil to several museums throughout the decade, including the Smithsonian and the Museum of the Rockies. The ranchers then attempted to sell the specimen to a private buyer, including auctioning at Bonhams, but also to no avail.[6]

In 2016, Lindsay Zanno of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences reached out to Phipps, starting negotiations to purchase the fossil, with funds being raised through the private nonprofit Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. However, legal issues over rightful ownership of the fossils slowed these negotiations; the Seversons had most of the control over mineral rights on Murray land, and if whether fossils could be considered minerals (in which case the Seversons would have rights to it) was disputed. Although a previous court had ruled in favor of the Murrays, in November 2018 judges ruled in favor of the Seversons and that fossils could legally be considered minerals in Montana, angering many paleontologists. However, the case was appealed to the Montana Supreme Court in 2020, who ruled that fossils could not be considered minerals, allowing for the Museum of Natural Sciences to acquire the fossils.[1][7][8][9][10]

Significance

The specimen is considered one of the best-preserved and most complete fossils of both species (as well as the most complete Tyrannosaurus specimen ever found at over 98% completeness),[11] and contains skin impressions, and potentially internal organs, stomach contents, and proteins.[1][3]

See also

References
  1. "'Dueling Dinosaurs' fossil, hidden from science for 14 years, could finally reveal its secrets". Science. 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  2. "'Dueling dinosaurs' fossils show Triceratops, T. rex, may have died after a battle". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  3. "North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to receive the "Dueling Dinosaurs" | Programs and Events Calendar". Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  4. Strickland, Ashley. "'Dueling dinosaurs' fossils show Triceratops, T. rex, may have died after a battle". CNN. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  5. WRAL (2020-11-17). "NC Museum of Natural Sciences unveils world's first complete T. rex". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  6. Bowley, Graham (2013-07-29). "Clashing Titans for Sale (Published 2013)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  7. Pantuso, Phillip (2019-07-17). "Perhaps the best dinosaur fossil ever discovered. So why has hardly anyone seen it?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  8. "Millions at stake in Montana dinosaur fight: Are fossils minerals?". Los Angeles Times. 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  9. Sager, Mike. "Will the Public Ever Get to See the "Dueling Dinosaurs"?". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  10. "'Dueling dinosaurs' of Hell Creek find home in North Carolina museum". The Guardian. Associated Press in Raleigh, North Carolina. 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  11. Keats, Jonathon. "Montana's Dueling Dinosaurs To Fetch Up To $9 Million At Bonhams Auction". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
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