Albertosaurus sarcophagus tooth 2.5" (6.25 cm), Drumheller, Alberta, Canada (disposition #001590)

Now this tooth tells a story! This long (2.5" or 6.25cm) Albertosaurus sacrophagus tooth may not be the prettiest but is a terrific example of natural wear. Note the "slice" from the tip to about halfway down one side. This indicates extreme tooth wear that broke right through the enamel. This was probably not pleasant and since dinosaurs did not have dentists they had to constantly shed worn teeth like this one. Due to their weaker nature, worn teeth are more susceptible to disintegration upon exposure from erosion. Finding all the pieces and reassembling them is a challenge, such as this case, which is missing a few bits. However, no restoration with fillers has occurred like most teeth found on the market. Note the nice denticles (serrations) on both sides of the tooth. This tooth is from the Red Deer River valley, near Drumheller, Alberta.

The specimen rests on Styrofoam base within a golden box accompanied by a label reading “Dinosaur Tooth, Drumheller, Alta”. These particular golden boxes were used by Green's Rock & Lapidary in Calgary back in the late 1960s-early 1970s to sell dinosaur teeth prior to the introduction of fossil legislation in Alberta. Harvey purchased this tooth from Green's during that time period.

The rocks exposed in this area are from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (believed to be 68 - 73.1 million years old). The only formally-recognized large theropod from this formation is Albertosaurus sarcophagus, which was a very large meat-eating dinosaur that could grow up to 9 meters (30 feet) long, weighing just over 1 ton. There were over 50 serrated, sharp teeth in its giant 1 meter long skull! Pre-dating Tyrannosaurus rex by several million years, it was smaller than T. rex but the apex predator of its day.

More about Alberta theropod dinosaurs

Legal Status: This specimen is legally available for private ownership and resale under Alberta Disposition Certificate #001590. A copy of the disposition documentation will accompany the specimen. Learn more about Alberta fossils and the disposition process.

Species: Albertosaurus sarcophagus
Age: Late Cretaceous (Campanian to early Maastrichtian or 68-73.1 million years ago)
Formation: Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Edmonton Group)
Locality: Red Deer River valley, Drumheller area, Alberta, Canada
Dimensions: Tooth size: 6.25 x 3 cm
Provenance: Green's Rock & Lapidary (Calgary); Harvey Negrich
Alberta Disposition Certificate Number: 001590 (specimen #HN1000) issued July 7, 2026