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So, lets figure out vertebrae from the Kem Kem beds. As many of you know the Kem Kem beds has a pretty enigmatic palaeo fauna. There is some literature about it, but not a whole lot. Some of it is behind a paywall and much information is pretty scattered. So I got this idea that maybe we could combine our knowledge and information to collectively get a better picture of which bone belongs to which animal, in this case, vertebrae. I know some of you have some fantastic specimens in your collections, if we combine these in this thread we might be able to see some patterns. We probably won't be able to put a genus or species name on each type, but perhaps assigning certain vertebrae to a morphotype might be possible. With that I encourage everyone that has any vertebrae from the Kem Kem beds to share photos of their specimens and post them here so we can use this thread as a sort of library as well as an ID thread that everyone can use to better ID their Kem Kem vertebrae. So please, share your photos! And it might help to number your specimens for easier reference. I will be updating this first post as new information arises with examples to make ID easier. Theropods Spinosaurids Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Spinosaurus is known for it's tall neural spines, which are pretty characteristic. Unlike Sigilmassasaurus, Spinosaurus does not have the ventral triangular rough plateau on the centra Spinosaurus mid cervical vertebra Spinosaurus dorsal, sacral and caudal vertebrae Caudal vertebrae Nearly complete tail from the neotype specimen of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Sigilmassasaurus brevicollis Sigilmassasaurus is a Spinosaurid that might be closely related to Baryonyx and Suchomimus. It differs from Spinosaurus in that it has a ventral keel on many vertebrae and a triangular rough plateau on the bottom back end. A is Sigilmassasaurus, B is Baryonyx Sigilmassasaurus cervical vertebrae From anterior to posterior Sigilmassasaurus dorsal vertebrae Indeterminate Spinosaurid vertebrae Not a whole lot has been published yet, some bones can probably not be ID'd on genus level. Spinosaurid caudal vertebrae Anterior caudal: From LordTrilobite's collection Mid-posterior caudal: From Paleoworld-101's collection Mid-posterior caudal: From LordTrilobite's collection This caudal vertebra is less tall and more pinched in the middle of the centrum than the one from Paleoworld-101's collection. Likely due to a slightly more posterior position. Mid-posterior caudal: From LordTrilobite's collection Carcharodontosaurids Due to an old paper Sigilmassasaurus vertebrae are sometimes misidentified as Carcharodontosaurid. These vertebrae should be identified on the basis of the original description by Stromer. Two species of Carcharodontosaurids are known from the Kem Kem beds at this time. Carcharodontosaurus saharicus and Sauroniops pachytholus. Carcharodontosaurid cervical vertebrae Deltadromeus agilis Anterior (left) and mid (right) caudals better examples needed Abelisauroids Indeterminate Abelisauroid distal caudal From LordTrilobite's collection Abelisaurid dorsal vertebrae From Troodon's collection Sauropods Rebbachisaurus garasbae Not a whole lot is known about this titanosaur, as only a few bones have been found. Notice that the vertebrae are very extensively pneumaticised. Rebbachisaurus dorsal vertebrae Sauropod mid caudal vertebra. Possibly Rebbachisaurid. Unnamed Titanosaurian mid caudal vertebra Crocodilomorphs more examples needed Kemkemia This crocodile is only known by a single posterior caudal vertebra. Kemkemia caudal vertebra Turtles examples needed Pterosaurs Azhdarchids Azhdarchid (probably Alanqa) posterior fragment cervical vertebra Azhdarchid Mid cervical vertebra Sources Spinosaurids https://peerj.com/articles/1323/?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_campaign=PeerJ_TrendMD_1&utm_medium=TrendMD http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0144695 Sauropods Jeffrey A. Wilson & Ronan Allain (2015) Osteology of Rebbachisaurus garasbae Lavocat, 1954, a diplodocoid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the early Late Cretaceous–aged Kem Kem beds of southeastern Morocco, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 35:4, e1000701, DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2014.1000701 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304214496_Evidence_of_a_derived_titanosaurian_Dinosauria_Sauropoda_in_the_Kem_Kem_beds_of_Morocco_with_comments_on_sauropod_paleoecology_in_the_Cretaceous_of_Africa Kemkemia sisn.pagepress.org/index.php/nhs/article/viewFile/nhs.2012.119/32 Pterosaurs https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefossilforum.com%2Fapplications%2Fcore%2Finterface%2Ffile%2Fattachment.php%3Fid%3D432009&fname=journal.pone.0010875.PDF&pdf=true https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/5967

Currently working on cataloging my fossil collection as best as I can, and am uncertain on this one. I don’t doubt the authenticity of the fossil itself or stated region based on other examples, but the “Spinosaurus sp.” given by the plate it came with feels awful presumptuous, so I’ve currently settled on a sweeping “Spinosauridae” classification. Does anything about this point to something more specific, or something more vague? Can provide more/better images if needed.

I recently saw a globular mosasaur tooth up for sale labelled as Globidens phosphaticus. I am conscious, however, that a number of teeth labelled as Globidens are in fact from Igdamanosaurus, Igdamanosaurus aegypticus in particular, so is this tooth actually a Globidens? Thanks in advance for any guidance Othniel

we have a hugh collection of vertebrate-fossils, many of them come from the KemKem-Beds in Morocco. One of this cenomanian remains is a bit strange and other than all the others. Reminds a bit to a croc, a bit to a Pliosaur. But, never seen a similar one... what do you think? Lenght is approx. 7 cm, no restaurations

We have a lot of Spino-teeth in our stock, most of them are nice and "common". Some show fantastic details like fine folds and very difficil structures. I show some pics of one I did pics last days showing this structures better than all the others complete tooth has approx. 15 cm or a bit less

Hi all, Wondering if you could help me identify these teeth found from the Kem Kem group. The top row I believe are Pterosaur teeth (am I correct in saying that they can only be identified as Ornithocheirid indets.?) The second row, I'm not too sure. Could they be fish? Thanks in advance, Josh

Came across this tooth on the internet. Although not my own interest, it does make an interesting conversation. How much of this tooth is real? It's 7,5 inches in length. Spinosaurid.

Updated 5/4/22 (in red) Updated 3/8/23 to add Carch photos of holotype Although a lot of this has already been posted on a number of topics, I thought consolidation might prove useful with some additional information. If you're planning to purchase theropod teeth from Morocco's Kem Kem Beds or already have some in your collection check this out. Moroccan theropods are poorly understood and not a lot has been published. Very few articulated skeletons have been found and most are partial and without a skull. There is also lots of mis-information, mostly unintentional, from some dealers but especially with online auction sites. Unfortunately these are the most misidentified commercially sold dinosaur fossil around. Please post your interest here on the forum before you buy. These strata are recognized as the Kem Kem Group, which is composed in the south of the lower Gara Sbaa and upper Douira formations, in the North the Deckar 2 and 3 Formations and in the central region as Akrabou and Ifezouane Formations. Quite a bit of material is has been made available to collectors from El Begaa which is the closest village to the locality Aferdou N’Chaft. Based on Nizar Ibrahim et al. / ZooKeys 928: 1–216 (2020) publication we can say this material is from the Gara Sbaa Formation in the Kem Kem Group There is also material becoming available from area 13 Iferda N'Ahouar which also appears to be the Gara Sbaa Formation. The distribution of the different groups of fossils can been see in the pie chart below. Dinosaurs make up a small percentage of what is collected. So first lets identify what is known to the best of my knowledge. Theropods that have been described across North Africa (focus on large bodied theropods). Ibrahim et al. not in agreement Theropods that have been described in Kem Kem: >Spinosaurus aegyptiacus * (Spinosauridae) *Some paleontologist believe this species is unique to Egypt and Kem Kem material should be identified as Spinosaurid indet. Lots of questions exist over Ibrahim (2014) diagnosis which validated this species. The question of multiple Spinosaurids is still an open issue. >Sigilmassasaurus brevicollis (Spinosauridae) Validity is questioned by Ibrahim et al. >Carcharodontosaurus saharicus (Carcharodontosauridae) >Sauroniops pachytholus (Carcharodontosauridae) Validity is questioned by Ibrahim et al. >Deltadromeus agilis (Neovenatoridae) Theropods that have not been described from the Kem Kem but isolated teeth may exist and have been reflected in scientific papers: >Dromaeosaurid sp.? Hendrickx suggested these are actually Noasaurid indet. >Abelisaurid indet. Theropod teeth that are sold commercially but no scientific evidence yet to link them to the Kem Kem: >Abelisaurus sp. (Not described from North Africa) >Rugops sp. (Only described from Niger) >Bahariasaurus sp. (Only described from Egypt) >Elaphrosaurus sp. (From Jurassic of Tanzania) So what is being sold and what are the issues? Spinosauridae Teeth are well understood by both collector and dealers, see photo. Issues are typically associated with restoration and compositing a larger tooth from multiple teeth. Teeth with matrix attached to them are suspect for restoration so be careful. At least two species of Spinosaurids exits and it's currently impossible to determine if they are Spinosaurus or Sigilmassasaurus or an Undescribed taxon. Conflicting taxonomic hypotheses have been proposed. Ibrahim at al (2014) suggest that all specimens found belong to Spinosaurus aegyptiacus. Evers et al (2015) regard Spinosaurus maroccanus and Sigiilmassaurus brevicollis as belonging to the same taxon S. brevicollis which is also supported by Hendrickx et al (2016). Ever at al (2015) also described additional specimens from a second unnamed Spinosaurid. Bottom line we do not have enough specimens to eliminate ontogenetic or sexual dimorphism differences and accurately describe Spinosaurids in the Kem Kem. So these teeth are best identified as: Spinosaurid indet. Vertical ridges can be present on both lingual and labial side, or absent on both or just one side.. Serrated : Spinosaurid teeth exist with a "beaded" carina. few examples of finely beaded teeth are popping up. Not sure we can currently say much about them if they are an evolutionary carryover on some teeth, an abberation in some jaws or a Baryonychinae type species. Carcharodontosauridae Not a lot is published on these teeth the and the best we have is from the holotype. Maxilla contained a few teeth No teeth were found on the partial dentary Teeth, those that are compressed and blade like, first photo. Wrinkles by the distal carina are diagnostic to this species. Mesial teeth are fat, slender and look very different (D shaped) (next three photos). Two species currently are described Carcharodontosaurus saharicus and Sauroniops pachytholus and its impossible to differentiate teeth between these taxons. Similiar to the Spinosaurid debate one exists with these two species and if Sauroniops is valid. Similiar to Spinosaurids the big issue is having enough specimens to make a proper determination in what exists. For these reasons best identified as : Carcharodontosaurid indet. On Lateral teeth marginal and transverse undulations can be present. Mesial carina reaches the base in most lateral teeth. Distal serration density typically greater than mesial on lateral teeth, opposite on mesial teeth. Lateral tooth Anterior Tooth Carcharodontosaurid indet Pre-Maxillary Tooth From the collection of @Omnomosaurus and identified by Christophe Hendrickx Serration Count: • Mesial: 12/5mm 8/5mm (closer to apex) • Distal: 9/5mm (just above midline) 7/5mm (closer to apex) CH: 34mm approx, CBL: 15mm, CBW: 9.5mm, CBR: .63 Key Features: Mesial carina ends mid-crown and is centrally placed. No marginal undulations present No transverse undulations present No longitudinal ridges present Weak short interdental sulci on one side of distal denticles at mid-cow Strongly displaced distal carina Braided enamel texture Photos by Omnomosaurus Theropod indet. There are also intermediate size teeth (1 1/2") that are being sold as Deltadromeus or another theropod. I believe these could be Deltadromeus teeth but until we see scientific evidence this morphology of tooth should be identified as Theropod indet. No skull was found with the holotype or in any other discoveries so we do not know what they look like. Carcharodontosaurid serrations Theropod indet. Dromaeosauridae: Teeth being sold as Dromaeosaurus are most likely misidentified, so here is what to look for. There are a few morphologies floating around but nothing as been formally described. Teeth are typically small around 1/2" (1.2cm) to over 1" (2.5cm) One morphology of these teeth are suggested by Hendrickx to be from a Noasaurid dinosaur. Although you see many sellers using the word Raptor next to what they are offering it's unknown if there is a true raptor in the Kem Kem. Abelisaurids are not raptors This figure identifies a study of isolated teeth by Richter (2015) and identifies two morphologies (A to D) and (E to G) as Dromaeosaurid. Mesial and distal carinae show a distinct density difference in serrations. The tip of the tooth extends past the base. On morph E/F a faint but visible constriction between crown and root is visible. The later form suggested by some paleontologists is most similiar to troodontids. Morph variant 3 that I have in my collection but not seen in any papers Mesial and distal carinae range show a distinct difference. A distinct twist to the mesial carina. It's unknown what this tooth belongs to. Abelisaurid indet. With new discoveries we can put a real species name to these teeth but currently they are indeterminate. These are easily identifiable but can easily be misidentified with certain morphologies of Dromaeosaurid teeth. The teeth are very compressed, the cross-section is oval at the base, the mesial side is strongly curved and the distal side is almost straight to the base of the tooth, see red lines in the photo. These teeth could be similar to Rugops since it's an Abelisaurid but we have no scientific information to suggest that they are and should be identified as Abelisaurid indet. Specimen UCPC 10 is extremely similar to Nigers Rugops but its missing several characteristics that definitively say its Rugops sp. Quite a few paleontologists have said its the same species. Premaxillary Bottom Line: There are NO theropod teeth in the Kem Kem Beds that you can currently definitively assign to a Genus, no less a Species, all should be identified to a family level.. If your interested here are some of the variations in morphologies of teeth from the Kem Kem

Hi everyone, I recently received this mammites ammonite fossil directly from Morocco from a source I trust, however on closer inspection the jigsaw pattern and spines just looked a little off to me. The spines are uneven and the jigsaw patterns look like they could have been drilled in. After doing some research it doesn't really seem like mammites are faked often or ever but there is always that possibility that this is a bad prep or completely fake (I am also aware that ammonites from Morocco tend to be rougher than a lot of other locals and I am not super familiar with Moroccan ammonites in general). Hoping to get a second opinion. Thanks to anyone who weighs in!

Hi guys, these days i was given this claw coming from kem kem as a birthday gift. This fossil was sold as a theropod claw, but it looks anything but to me. I assumed it could belong either to a sauropod cub or to a strange lizard not yet described. What do you think? THANKS XD

Got this bone some time ago from a collector. It was found in morocco, Kem Kem - Beds I am a bit unsure what species it is, what do you think? Size: 8,5 x 8,5 x 6,5 cm, approx. 3 x 3 x 2,5"

Below are 10 crocodile teeth from the Ypresian age of the Moroccan Phosphates, none of which have been identified. I've numbered them to make it easier to keep track of them as they all look rather similar. Thanks in advance for any proposed IDs Othniel

Hello, These teeth were offered to me as Moroccan sharks coming from "Garsift" in "North Morocco". But I couldn't figure out what formation these came from. I never intended to acquire or purchase these, but the dealer had given me these as a sample. The seller also had Otodus megalodon from the same area, but I did not purchase those either, but that should place these in Mio-Pliocene age. I figured it would also be useful reference for anyone that comes across similar material. Oops, I just realized that I skipped the number 5. There is no tooth #5 Tooth #1 - Sand Tiger (Carcharias sp.) Tooth #2 Tooth #3 Tooth #4 Tooth #6 Tooth #7 Sand Tiger (Carcharias sp.) Tooth #8

Is it possible to id between Moroccan Globidens phospaticus and Igdamanosaurus aegyptiacus teeth? Or does the separate teeth go as Globidensini indet?

Hello , Is this a Mosasaur sp. Humerus ? Locality : Oued Zem (Morocco) , Basin Abdou Ouled formation . Thank you in advance

Hi, I Just got my hands on a trilobite which originates from Hamar L'Aghdad Limestones, Djebel Issoumour areas, Anti-Atlas Mnts. Morocco. I tried to identify it and I think it might be a Phacopida / Hollardops. The length ist about 5 to 6cm (Sorry, I do not have a ruler or anything like that, because I am not at home.) Am I wrong? Thanks for your help.

Ciao a tutti! Potete aiutarmi per favore a identificare i denti di questo squalo? Provengono da Ypresian del bacino di Ouled Abdoun. Dimensione circa 1 cm. Hi everyone! Can you please help me identify this shark's teeth? They come from Ypresian in the Ouled Abdoun basin. Size about 1cm.

Hello! I wanted to ask you IDs for these two teeth I have in my collection. These two fossils are from Oulad Abdoun Basin in Morocco. Thank you!

At the SMAM show. Saw this one but what is it? Khourigba, Morocco

These are a couple of trilobites purchased in Morocco. Both this and the colour lead me to believe they were unearthed there as well. The trilobites, based on my limited knowledge of trilobite physiology, are probably of the Calymenidae family, but said family is a rather diverse one and hence a more exact identification would be appreciated. I didn't photograph their undersides as they are for the most part covered by matrix. Hopefully these specimens are of high enough quality to be identified. Thanks in advance for any proposed IDs Othniel

is it real, looks to be made of real parts but other parts look fabricated

A dyrosaurus from morocco, is it real?

Hi all again, someone send me today these photos. Could someone confirm to me that this bone is a Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus caudal vertebrae? Sizes are visible from photos. I don't know from what bed formation it was find. Thank you very much.

Hello, I have another mosasaur tooth ID question. This is listed as Mosasaurus beaugei from Kem Kem Morocco, on the small side at just over 4.1 cm. Based on what I recall @Praefectus said, is it possible this is actually a M. hoffmanni? It has very few, prominent facets, which are apparently diagnostic to hoffmanni rather than beaugei? @pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Sadly the tooth doesn't seem in the best shape though. Thanks!