Fossil Atlas — Formation ProfileCatalog FA·HELL·66
Plate 01 · Fossil hotspot

Hell Creek FormationFossil map and formation profile

Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, USA

Quick provenance answer

Where is the Hell Creek Formation?

The Hell Creek Formation is represented in Fossil Atlas by 163 selected fossil records from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, USA. Notable fossil animals mapped here include Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus. These pins are modern fossil discovery locations, not a complete ancient habitat map.

This remains a formation profile: the description, timeline, notable animals, and evidence sections stay intact. The fossil-map answer is surfaced here so visitors from search can orient themselves before reading the full dossier.

Mapped records
163
Region
Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, USA
Notable animals
Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus
Map caveat
Modern fossil locations, not ancient habitat.
Formation description

A latest Cretaceous rock unit across the northern Great Plains, famous for preserving Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and other vertebrates close to the end-Cretaceous extinction interval.

Geologic timeline

When the formation was deposited

Position of this formation’s known age range across 252 million years of the Mesozoic and beyond.

252 MaToday

68-66 million years ago

Known from

Notable fossil animals

Animals with source-backed fossil records in the current dataset that are associated with the Hell Creek Formation.

Tyrannosaurus rexTriceratopsAnkylosaurusEdmontosaurusPachycephalosaurus
Modern discovery map

Hell Creek Formation fossil discovery map

Pins show selected fossil records for the Hell Creek Formation; use them as modern discovery evidence, not a complete range map. Modern fossil discovery map: pins show where selected fossil and specimen records were found today, not ancient Earth positions. What does this mean?

Modern Fossil Discovery Map
Shareable asset

Make a Hell Creek Formation expedition card

Turn this formation’s geologic age range, notable animals, and 163 mapped discovery records into a source-stamped 4:5 card built for Instagram, Reddit, X, Discord, and Pinterest.

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Research notes

Hell Creek Formation fossil map FAQ

Where is the Hell Creek Formation?

The Hell Creek Formation is a fossil-bearing rock unit exposed in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, USA. Fossil Atlas maps selected occurrence records from this formation as modern discovery locations.

Is this map where the animals lived?

No. The map shows modern fossil discovery locations from selected records in this formation. Ancient habitat and paleogeographic reconstructions are separate questions.

What fossils are found in the Hell Creek Formation?

Notable fossil animals mapped within this formation include Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus. Formation coverage depends on the selected dataset and may not be complete.

Can I make a Hell Creek Formation expedition card?

Yes. Use the expedition card generator to turn the Hell Creek Formation map and notable animals into a shareable card.

Data sources

Attribution

Caveats

Important notes

Selected fossil records from PBDB and museum biodiversity aggregators. Source labels and confidence notes help distinguish canonical paleobiology records from specimen-media records.

Formation profiles and notable animal lists reflect the current selected dataset. Fossil maps show modern discovery locations, not paleogeographic reconstructions. Age ranges are approximate and subject to revision as new stratigraphic data becomes available.

Trust note

Selected source-backed records

Maps use curated PBDB, museum, and specimen-source records with visible caveats.

Trust note

Modern discovery locations

Pins show where fossils were found or reported today, not exact ancient habitat positions.

Trust note

Reconstruction is not evidence

Artwork is labeled separately from specimen photos, maps, and source records.

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