Tyrannosaurus Steven

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I wondered if anyone had any information at all about a Tyrannosaurus , given the name Steven? Apparently this specimen was found in association with a few pieces of eggshell. The pieces of shell are quite similar to theropod shell often associated with Tarbosaurus, however there is no direct proof yet the shell is from a Tyrannosaurus egg. I wondered where the dinosaur was found, how complete, and what other information we have for it? As far as I know this is the first time a specimen of Tyrannosaurus has been found directly linked with eggshell. Anyone?

[wings]

...I wondered where the dinosaur was found, how complete, and what other information we have for it? As far as I know this is the first time a specimen of Tyrannosaurus has been found directly linked with eggshell. Anyone?

BHI 6249 (Steven) was discovered in 1995 by Steve Sacrison at John, Betty, and David Niemi Ranch, near Buffalo, Harding County, SD (approx. a quarter south of the "Duffy" site). The bedding belongs to the Hell Creek Formation. Currently (as the specimen number suggested...) it is stored at the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Hill City, SD. We have a nearly complete right femur, 6 dorsals (fairly incomplete), 5 ribs, 1 phalange and 2 incomplete skull elements (together 5% of a skeleton by bone count). It isn't on display. The skeleton was found scattered and some of them have been bitten and chewed. As for the shells; we have no evidence on whether these are washed in or from this particular animal.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

A very incomplete animal then...I wonder if at some point they might be able to establish if the eggshell was indeed washed in or was somehow associated with the dinosaur itself. I would assume that information would be best established by  the strata and sediments the dinosaur was removed from, so they would be able to say already if the finding were related.Still quite a fascinating discovery, given the ornamentation of the shells.

[wings]

Even if we can work out these eggshells aren't washed in; it would still be hard to establish their association (these shells could well be belonging to another species and just happened to be in the same area where the tyrannosaur carcass was finally laid) unless we have some tyrannosaur embryo material within these shells (the situation is very similar to oviraptors which has been thought for years that they were stealing eggs from the protoceratops' nests.)

[amargasaurus cazaui]

You are of course correct, but it would be great if we could establish the ornamentational pattern , size or shape for the North American Tyrannosaurs. Gigantaraptors for instance had eggs that were a full eighteen inches long.....