0.96" Ceratopsian indet. Anterior Caudal Vertebra (Judith River)

Size: 0.96" L x 0.87" H x 1.27" W

Species:  ceratopsidae indet.

Age: late cretaceous- 75.3-79 MYA

Location Found: Judith River Formation, Northern Montana, USA 

Position: Likely caudal 4–8, where the transverse processes remain prominent but the vertebrae are already distinctly caudal in form.

A beautifully preserved anterior tail vertebra from a juvenile horned dinosaur recovered from the legendary Judith River Formation. The stout spool-shaped centrum and well-developed transverse processes indicate an origin near the base of the tail, likely belonging to a centrosaurine ceratopsian such as Centrosaurus or a close relative.

At Stones & Bones, we do our very best to properly identify every fossil we offer. Nevertheless, paleontology is an evolving science, and isolated specimens can sometimes be difficult to assign with certainty. Our identifications reflect our honest and informed opinion, but alternative interpretations are always possible as new research emerges.