Welcome to our projects page

This page is an overview of each project. There is a drop-down menu under Projects to see the page for each individual specimen. Some specimens are available for acquisition  and others may be under contract or unavailable, we will list their status. If you are interested in a project, you can contact us for a Specimen Prospectus. This will be sent through email as a pdf file. We will only have one image on this page to represent each project. For each project, we heavily document both field and lab operations with photographs and video. All documentation is included with each specimen. Specimens also contain field quarry maps and a catalog of elements. For museum acquisitions, we do make the site available for visiting and to collect locality data and some geologic samples.

Sub-Adult Edmontosaurus skeleton 2018

This specimen was collected in 2018. The main jacket (pictured above) contained the near complete tail, both hind legs and feet, hip, some dorsal vertebra and ribs, and some cervical vertebra. Condition is near excellent and much of the specimen is articulated. There are also some skin patches visible on the tail.

  1. Hell Creek Formation, MT
  2. Field jacket measures about 16 feet long.
  3. Condition - Stabilized, surface prepared to show most elements.

Status: Available for acquisition. As-Is

Thescelosaurus neglectus 2018

This specimen was collected in 2018. The associated skeleton (pictured above) contained a complete hip, one femur, tibia, fibula, several caudal vertebra, a few chevrons-dorsal ribs-cervical vertebra. This is a very rare find for the Hell Creek Formation. Only a handful of this species has ever been recovered with this much material.

  1. Hell Creek Formation, MT
  2. Condition - Stabilized, partial preparation.

Status: Currently under preparation. Site work will be finished in 2019.

Triceratops prorsus 2017

This specimen was discovered by Luke Phipps and collected in 2017. The articulated skeleton and skull(pictured above) contained a complete skull, and vertebral column to the hip. The left dorsal ribs are articulated to the vertebra. The right dorsal ribs shifted before burial. Also contains the left scapula. Several skin patches are also on this specimen. There are also a couple theropod teeth in the soft tissue areas from scavenging. Articulated Triceratops specimens with a skull are extremely rare. The entire site was removed in one field jacket weighing over 35,000 lbs. An outstanding exhibit and research specimen.

  1. Hell Creek Formation, MT
  2. Condition - Stabilized, partial preparation.

Status: Pending Acquisition

Tyrannosaurus rex 2018

This specimen was collected in 2018. The associated skeleton took around two months to collect. There were several complete elements in the main site but most of the skeleton had eroded out many years ago and was reburied. Overall, we were able to catalog over 100 elements from the skeleton and skull. Some notable elements are a humerus, furcula, all nearly complete cervical vertebra, and a near complete left foot. Since the specimen had been once exposed and reburied, those elements broke up. With extensive quarry work, we were able to collect thousand of sections of those elements. In the lab, those sections are going back together. We meticulously labeled every fragment with its quadrant number. The breaks were very clean and with the quadrant mapping process and excavation, it makes it much easier to find matches to those pieces. This specimen would be a great project for working into a complete replica to create an outstanding exhibit.

  1. Hell Creek Formation, MT
  2. Condition - Stabilized, over 90% prepared material.

Status: Pending Acquisition

 

Triceratops prorsus skull 2018

This specimen was collected in 2018. When first discovered, only the tip of each brow horn and the very edge of the parietal were exposed. The skull is complete and articulated including the lower dentition with teeth! Extremely rare for this dinosaur. Measuring at 7 feet long, this is most likely one of the best Triceratops skulls ever to be found. To ensure its safe transport, we only exposed the very back of the skull and the very tip of the front beak. We left the rest covered in matrix. We have surface prepared the left side to expose how great this specimen is. There is still a bit of matrix on the left side so you can't really see how great the surface detail is yet. It has a ways to go but this allows you to see its potential. Would be an excellent public preparation project or just an outstanding exhibit. The surrounding matrix is mostly sand so it is removed easily.

  1. Hell Creek Formation, MT
  2. Condition - Stabilized, partial preparation of the left side.

Status: This specimen has been acquired. NATE is on its way to its new home for many people to enjoy and be inspired.

Didelphodon vorax 2018

This specimen was collected in 2018. Though not a large project, we wanted to share it with you. Mammal fossils of any kind are very rare in the Hell Creek Formation. The preservation quality of this skull is outstanding. This is one of the best specimens of this species to ever be discovered.

  1. Hell Creek Formation, MT
  2. Condition - Fully Prepared, no restoration.

Status: Available for Acquisition