In Photos: Montana's Dueling Dinosaur Fossils

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Dueling Dino

(Image credit: Image courtesy of Black Hills Institute of Geological Research Inc. and Katie Busch, Owner/Partner CK Preparations))

An artist's model of the Montana Dueling Dinosaurs based on geographical placement of the fossils.

Rare Find

(Image credit: Courtesy of Bonhams)

The Dueling Dinosaurs are billed as the most complete dinosaur skeletons ever found in the Hell Creek Formation in Montana. Shown here is the snout of a theropod, thought by some to represent a Nanotyrannus lancensis.

Nanotyrannus?

(Image credit: Courtesy of Bonhams)

The theropod in the Dueling Dinosaurs group lies encased in its field jacket. Scientists have debated whether specimens dubbed Nanotyrannus actually represent members of a distinct species or simply juvenile versions of T. rex.

Dino Cowboy

(Image credit: Megan Gannon/LiveScience)

Clayton Phipps, also known as the Dinosaur Cowboy, excavated the fossils up for auction at Bonhams.

Dino Skin

(Image credit: Courtesy of Bonhams)

Some of the coarse skin of the ceratopsid is preserved on the fossil.

Triceratops

(Image credit: Courtesy of Bonhams)

The fossils' sellers say the ceratopsid (its foot is shown here) could represent a new species of Triceratops or early Triceratops horridus.

Megan Gannon
Megan Gannon
Live Science Contributor
Megan has been writing for Live Science and Space.com since 2012. Her interests range from archaeology to space exploration, and she has a bachelor's degree in English and art history from New York University. Megan spent two years as a reporter on the national desk at NewsCore. She has watched dinosaur auctions, witnessed rocket launches, licked ancient pottery sherds in Cyprus and flown in zero gravity. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.