Natural History, including Gorgosaurus
Natural History, including Gorgosaurus
Allosaurus Leg Bones Articulated
Auction Closed
July 28, 03:27 PM GMT
Estimate
250,000 - 300,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Allosaurus Leg Bones Articulated
Allosaurus fragilis
Late Jurassic (approx. 150 million years ago)
Morrison Formation, Sutton Quarry, Moffat County, Colorado
Articulated leg and foot 79 inches (201 cm) tall; foot 16½ by 20 inches (42 x 50.8 cm). 83 inches (210.8 cm) tall with 25 by 25 inch base (63.5 x 63.5 cm) on custom display mount.
A complete, articulated leg and foot bones from a single, adult individual. This Allosaurus specimen is well-preserved, showing no distortion, and is in very good condition. The natural coloration of the fossilized bones is a deep black, with surface detail preserving muscle attachment scars. Six perfectly matched cast replica toe bones are incorporated to properly complete the mount. Displayed on a custom iron stand.
Each Allosaurus foot had three weight-bearing toes and a dewclaw, all ideal for ripping through skin and muscle. These lower limb adaptations suggest that Allosaurus may have also used its legs and feet to grasp and manipulate the body of prey items, whether dead or alive.
Stalking stegosaurs, ornithopods, and even small sauropods, the 30 foot (9 meter) long Allosaurus used robust legs, strong arms, three manus claws, serrated teeth, and machete-like jaws to secure its spot atop the late Jurassic North American food chain. Scientific debate continues to rage with respect to the hunting strategies these carnivores employed—some paleontologists believe Allosaurus was an intelligent, social creature that hunted in packs, while others theorize a more solitary existence. Either way, without the use of powerful legs like the jet-black specimen offered here, the search for food would have proven impossible.