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Ornitholestes
Occurring intermittently within the giant sauropod skeletons, our quarry has produced the remains of several small to medium sized individual dinosaurs represented by several jaws, teeth, and numerous post-cranial remains. These specimens are comprised by a respectable amount of material already jacketed and in the process of being prepared, and sorted. The specimens have yet to be positively identified to species or evaluated for their completeness. We expect that these fossils will represent of one or more of the theropods previously known from the Morrison Formation. The species are: Coelurus, Ornitholestes, Elaphrosaurus, and Tanycolagreus, and they are often mistaken for each other because of their overlapping sizes and similar morphology.
The best up to date example forming part of this group of theropods is Ornitholestes which is comprised of a near complete maxilla, dentary, both femora & tibiae, and humerus so far have been allocated to this genus. This is very exciting discovery in that Ornitholestes is an extremely rare theropod and the Dana Quarry specimen represents the second known associated skeleton. Despite its favorable limb proportions to the American Museum type, it however differs noticeably in its greater size and robustness indicating perhaps that it may be a fully grown individual and that the type my represent an immature stage.
The osteographic representation shown is a guesstimate in reference to skeletal elements tentatively identified, but not necessarily belonging to one individual.
