The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-09-06
MONTANA IN THE MESOZOIC AG

of the earth.
MONTANA IN THE MESOZOIC AGE
Millions of years ago what is now
within the boundaries Of Montana pre-
sented an entirely different topograph-
ical and geologic appearance than it
does today. Where the fertile fields of
the Dawson county area hear Glendive
wave their crops to the traveller, was,
whose waters there swan countless
marine reptiles, such as messasaurus,
great marine turtles and other denizens
OF the prehistoric past.
This condition, which prevailed as
far west as the present site of Mis-
soula. existed for centuries. until old
Mother Nature, firing of her previous
handiwork, caused an upheaval that
completely eradicated the scheme of
topography. The Appalachian plain
between the Rockies and the Allegheny
rifle adjustment which occurred. Wa
tiers of the inland sea receded and
lakes formed in their place. Came the
era of semitropical vegetation and
giant forests. whose petrified remains
are today exemplified in the coal fields
of Deer Lodge and Roundup.
The era of the dinosaur had arriv-
ed. These giant beasts roamed through
out what is now eastern and central
Montana for centuries until finally old
Mother Nature again changed her map
and the great glaciers moved down
from the north, crushing all animal and
plant life beneath thousands Of tons
Of ice. Today the remains of the great
dinosaurs are being taken from their
tombs. where they have laid unspoiled
by the ravages of the elements during
their long period of burial. 1t is these
finds recently made in Montana that
the writer will discuss.
Over a period Of years, ~palaentolo-
gistS have been at work seeking the re-
mains of the tyrannasaurus rex and
other prehistoric reptiles whose bones
lie embedded in the badland forma-
tons south and east of Glendive in
Dawson county. The search has been
thorough. with the result that today
there exists one of the best fossil fields
in the Glendive area ever discovered
on the North American continent.
The whole area is n of prehistoric
splendor, the qualifications cropping
out in an endless unspoken story of
snails of gigantic proportions, dino
sauria remains of all types, amphibi-
ans, agate deposits, in fact, a veritable
array of the relics of the dim past pre-
sents itself to the searchers.
A few weeks ago, is miles south of
Glendive, there were located several
portions of the thigh bones, skull and
pelvis Of ty%rannasaurus rex, a great
reptile of the Mesozoic age, which has
been recognized by scientists and re-
search men as the greatest of the car
in life was approximately At feet in
length and when standing erect was
fully 20 feet in height. He was the
greatest flesh-eater ever created in the
history of the world. His enormous
head was armed with saw-bladed, dag
ger-like teeth six inches long. In fight
ing this fearsome brute could open his
mouth four feet. His neck was massive.
with forearms no larger than those of
present day man, and his large hind
legs terminated in three powerful toes
identity he used these large hind feet
to hold his prey, while the powerful
neck and massive jaws enabled him to
rend the flesh of his hapless victims.
Like all of the c%arnivorous dinosaurs,
the bones of ty"rannacauruS were hol- |
low, while his joints we're close fitting, !
indicating a very active creature. Ev-
he could leap upon and bring
such sluggish victims a. tricera-
tops, another great reptile of the Meso-
zoic age, a portion of which now awaits
removal to the American Museum of
Natural History, this portion being in
the form of a complete skull and sew
eral bones found south of G1endive.
Triceratops means three horns on the
face. This dinosaur lived during the
close of the cretaceous period at the
close of the mesozoic age, which marks
the end of all dinosaur life on this
In all c%eratopsia, or horned
dinosaurs, the heads are unusually
large and the brain is relatively small;
in a skull six feet long the brain is be-
lieved to have weighed less than eight
showing the reptile to be of
very low mentality and sluggish in