The Vertebrate Fossil Exhibits include numerous specimens from around the world, but is concentrated on the vertebrate fossils of the Northern Great Plains including dinosaurs from South Dakota, swimming marine reptiles from the Cretaceous shales of the Western Interior Seaway, and a world famous collection of Oligocene - Miocene fossil mammals from the White River Badlands of South Dakota.
The dinosaurs exhibited include a nearly complete hadrasaur, Edmontosaurus regalis (SDSMT # 4917), from the Hell Creek Formation, near Watauga, S.D., an extremely fine Triceratops horridus skull (SDSMT #2760) from the Hell Creek of Harding County, S. D., a Tyrannosaurus rex skull (SDSMT #x), an Iguanodon skull, Iguanodon lakotaensis (SDSMT #8656) from the Lakota Formation of Meade County, and a Pacycephalosaurus skull cap from the Lance Formation of Meade County, South Dakota. Several dinosaur tracks are exhibited and one is available to touch.
The exhibit collection of swimming marine reptiles from the CretaceousWestern Interior Seaway include a complete 29 ft. mosasaur, Mosaurus conodon (SDSMT #452) from Frederick, South Dakota, a 36 ft long-necked plesiosaur, Alzadasaurus pembertoni Welles and Bump (SDSMT #451) from the ranch of Mr. Arthur Salzman near Iona, South Dakota, an insitu mounted mosasaur, Platecarpus (SDSMT #30139), and smaller partial reptiles exhibiting plesiosaur paddles and gastroliths (stomach or "gizzard" stones), a mosaasaur skull and jaws (Prognathodon overtoni (SDSMT # 3393)), a mosasaur (Tylosaurus prorigor SDSMT #xxxx) exhibiting its "last supper" as a gastric residue . Also exhibited is large plaque mounted fossil fish, Xiphactinus audax Leidy (SDSMT #) found 6 miles east of Hot Springs in the Niobrara Chalk illustrating that Cretaceous fish, as well as other marine reptiles, attained phenomenal proportions during this time. The exhibit also features specimens of turtles (Toxochelys browni (SDSMT #425, #4810), pterosaurs (Pteranodon sp. (SDSMT #497)) and a flightless bird, Hesperornis regalis (SDSMT #5312), round out the vertebrtae specimens on exhibit.
Soon joining these specimens will be an exhibit featuring the world's first described fossilized sea turtle nest from the Cretaceous Fox Hills Sandstone of Colorado.
The White River Group which forms the South Dakota Badlands consists of a series of superposed lthologic units which include the Chadron, Brule, and younger beds.
Three stratigraphic dioramas featuring fossil Oligocene mammals from the famous South Dakota White River Badlands contain mounted and insitu exhibits featuring a titanothere and alligator from the Chadron Formation, oreodons, turtles, pigs, and false sabretooth cats from the Scenic Member of the Brule Formation, and oreodons and Poleslide Member of the Brule Formation. Additional specimens from the Sharps Formation, and Monroe Creek Formation are exhibited nearby.
Nearby display cases feature the skulls of many of the Oligocene inhabitants of the savannahs of what is now Western South Dakota including rabbits, mice, cats, pigs, camels, rhinos, and numerous other mammals, reptiles, and birds. Included in these cases are exceptional specimens of what has been interpreted as a bitten false-sabretooth cat, Nimravus bumpensis (SDSMT # 348).
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