A visit to..........

About 150 million years ago, Bridger Country was situated on the western coast of the Colorado Sea - an inland ocean which cut the present day United States in half. Along the shores of this vast waterway, dwelt thousands of dinosaurs. These creatures came in a staggering variety of sizes, shapes, colors and temperaments. Scientists believe they were one of the most successful species to ever walk the earth. The fossil record shows that dinosaurs survived for many millions of years before vanishing - almost overnight. Lately, theories that a large comet or asteroid hit the earth, causing huge changes in climate, has become a favorite premise in scientific circles. Climatic changes brought on by an asteroid hit would occur almost overnight - geologically speaking - and could very easily account for the vanishing of the dinosaurs.

Before the Indians... Before the trappers........ Before the railroad..... Before the farmers.....

There was Deinonychus - the "Terrible Claw"!

The Bridger area is the site of one of the most important finds ever in the world of paleontology.

When Dr. John Ostrom of Yale visited Bridger Country in the 1960's to explore a patch of Early Cretaceous rock, Ostrom could not have known that his findings would effect many long-held beliefs about dinosaurs. The Doctor's finds and his conclusions started a controversy in the world of paleontology which continues well into our own decade. The finds at Bridger resurrected a flagging interest in the study of these great creatures which has continued to this day.

From the moment Ostrom's team dug up Deinonychus, the scientist was instantly aware that this animal was a brand new and very unique creature in the world of paleontology. From the four inch long retractable claws on its feet (Ostrom later wrote that the creature had "switchblades on its feet") to its large mouth full of serrated, inch long teeth, Ostrom knew that Deinonychus was a meat eater, extraordinaire. This new dinosaur also had a large brain for its size, as evidenced by it's skull cavity. Ostrom came to two conclusions rather quickly. Deinonychus was fast....very fast. Deinonychus was smart.... very smart. This dinosaur had to be both. Nothing the size of Deinonychus (about 5-6 feet tall) would have ever survived as a carnivore without great agility and more than its share of "street smarts". The idea of a cold blooded reptile behaving like Deinonychus had to in order to survive, was not very convincing to the paleontologist, so Dr. Ostrom came to believe that this particular dinosaur... and perhaps others.... had been warm blooded. The world of paleontology did not accept Ostrum's theory for over 30 years- until a couple of other dino-experts, including a Montana dinosaur hunter named John Horner, began looking very closely at the bone structure of various dinosaurs. Horner became convinced that certain dinosaurs had to be warm blooded because of their growth rate and the numerous channels for carrying blood within the bone.... and he has helped convince others of his findings.

The Deinonychus found in this area was the model for Hollywood's "Jurassic Park" velociraptors (even though the true velociraptor is about half the size of Deinonychus). Scientists believe that Deinonychus hunted in packs and was one of the most feared predators in the dinosaur world. One of Ostrom's 1960's local digs revealed five complete skeletons of Deinonychus lying by the body of a large plant-eating dinosaur called Tenontosaurus ("Sinew lizard"). This collection of bodies might have been a chance result of nature, but one could easily imagine the small and vicious pack of Deinonychus surrounding the Tenontosaurus, leaping and slashing until the great creature was overcome by the persistence of its attackers. During the struggle, a couple Deinonychus could have been killed by the thrashing of Tenontosaurus' tail, but in the end - the effective wolf-pack type hunting of the smaller dinosaur would have overcome the great herbivore's' resistance. The Deinonychus' found in this area are the only ones found in the world to date.

Besides Deinonychus, another dinosaur unique to the Bridger area was found at the excavation site. Named Sauropelta (Lizard shield), this creature was a plant eater like Tenontosaurus. The largest known species of the armored dinosaurs of Cretaceous times, Sauropelta weighed over 3 tons and was totally encased in bony body armor. Since Sauropelta was built low to the ground, with stumpy legs, it needed protection from the fast and agile Deinonychus. Sharp spikes stuck out from its sides and its back was covered with many plates of bone, forming an almost-impermeable shield against attack from predators.

More information about the "Terrible Claw" can be found on the Internet (which has numerous "Dinosaur Sites" and "chat rooms" ) and at your local library. Choteau, MT is home to a very well-known dinosaur collection & museum, as well..

And that's not all!. Rumor has it that a fully-restored skeleton of Deinonychus has made its debut at the museum of the Rockies in Bozeman by now!

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