Real or Fake Pteranodon Preserved In Amber?

[Mioplosus_Lover24]

Awhile ago there was the craze about having an alleged partial dinosaur tail preserved in amber, then there was the ammonite and crinoids preserved in amber, but recently I have been seeing reports about a complete pteranodon that was found preserved in amber and that was set to be auctioned off. Over the past few months I have not seen any more reports about it and was wondering if anyone knew if it was a hoax (I imagine it was), or if someone out there really does now own this one-of-a-kind specimen?

[Praefectus]

Pteranodons were big. Too big to get stuck in amber. I'm guessing the pteranodon in amber was a hoax. I do remember seeing news articles about the partial dinosaur tail preserved in amber. That one was real. 

[RuMert]

There was a juvenile bird preserved in Burmese amber. So bird+tail = pteranodon

[Bguild]

I haven't seen the story, but IMO there's no way a Pteranodon could get stuck in amber seeing as large bugs could get themselves out most of the time. 

[Troodon]

Here is an article, guessing it's what's being discussed...auction held Nov 19

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pterosaur-dinosaur-head-amber-evolution-auction-jurassic-period-fossils-a9148181.html

[RuMert]

http://www.aakz.com/bird-head-in-amber.html

http://www.aakz.com/bird-in-amber.html

[connorp]

Here are the only two photos I could find.

[Fossildude19]

Someone joined the Forum 2 years ago, trying to peddle this pterosaur in amber nonsense. 

We don't traffic in magical thinking here. There was a whole LOT of pareidolia going on there.  

 

 

[Randyw]

It’s about the size of a small marble. It says in the article it could be either pterosaur or long toothed bird but I’m having trouble believing it.....

[Fossildude19]

9 minutes ago, Randyw said:

It’s about the size of a small marble. It says in the article it could be either pterosaur or long toothed bird but I’m having trouble believing it.....

As anyone with knowledge of fossils would.   

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

2 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

As anyone with knowledge of fossils would.

For that price I'd expect a trove of images, I find it convenient that there are only a handful. But honestly .. if you squint juuust right.

 

Wait .. there it is.

 

 

[caldigger]

One on righr looks like a Mr. Bill chicken. 

[daves64]

Looks sort of like a Skeksis from Dark Crystal.. 

[Oxytropidoceras]

What I want is a trilobite preserved in amber. :-) :-) 

 

Go see Figure 11 in:

 

Eriksson, M. and Poinar Jr, G.O., 2015. Fake it till you make it:

The uncanny art of forging amber. Geology Today, 31(1), pp.21-27.

http://ambre.jaune.free.fr/Fakes_in_amber.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273287099_Fake_it_till_you_make_it-the_uncanny_art_of_forging_amber

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/George_Poinar

 

Yours,

 

Paul H.

[Fossildude19]

   

 

From the website linked in RuMert's post.

[Randyw]

Looks like someone pulled a chicken head out of the old trash....

[Abstraktum]

11 hours ago, Brett Breakin' Rocks said:

 

 

That face on the right was literally me reading just the title.

 

After seeing the actual amber... Well, my disappointment is immeasurable. 

[RuMert]

Amber is the key to success. What if a T-Rex was preserved in amber - all questions of plumage, lips, coloration and small hands would be resolved

[Troodon]

8 minutes ago, RuMert said:

What if a T-Rex was preserved in amber

Here you go all yours questions answered

 

[RuMert]

Isn't it a Tarbosaurus? T-Rex's turn is yet to come

[Oziya]

Saw a YouTube video on "pterodactyl in amber" and wondered if it was related or a new specimen 

 

[Randyw]

Different item. But from the video we can’t even confirm its amber. I’m not seeing anything identifiable

[Mark Kmiecik]

I'm not even going to watch the video. I'm surprised I took the time to respond.

[jpc]

I saw supposed CT scans of the same thing to day on Facebook.  I have looked at a lot of fossils, and a lot of CT scans, and there was, as Randyw mentions, nothing identifiable in the few pix I saw.  If you want to grab my attention beyond the headlines, at least use a photo that works.  With CT data it would be really easy to eliminate the supposed amber and show just the supposed fossil. 

 

[jhw]

This thing is very interesting, whatever it is! Here's a shot of the piece, a CT scan and artist's recreation. It's tiny, smaller than any known bird alive today, which is the bee hummingbird. I guess it's small enough to conceivably be encased in amber, but to label it a Pteranodon seems to be a bit of a stretch! Mystery piece for sure.