Cenozoic Giant Reptile Material?

[Carcharodontosaurus]

In recent years, I have become just as interested, if not more so, in non-dinosaurian prehistoric large reptiles than in dinosaurs themselves. Especially giant reptiles of the Cenozoic. Right now one of my prize pieces is a partial Megalania vertebra from Australia. However, I would like to acquire more large Cenozoic reptile fossils in the future, such as sebecosuchians, palaeophiids, giant crocodiles and giant tortoises. What material of this kind have TFF members seen available commercially?

 

Would also like to have information on Triassic non-dinosaur reptiles. And Palaeosaniwa, Hell Creek's Komodo dragon.

[Fossildude19]

If anyone has suggestions for commercial websites to check, please send them via PM. 

 

I would think this material is extremely rare to see for sale, and probably priced to match it's rarity.  

[grandpa]

I know nothing about Cenozoic large reptiles nor where to acquire fossils of their remains, but I love the fact that there are folks like yourself that have interests in pockets of such knowledge that add to our hobby and the science that supports it.

[siteseer]

On 11/24/2019 at 4:15 PM, Carcharodontosaurus said:

In recent years, I have become just as interested, if not more so, in non-dinosaurian prehistoric large reptiles than in dinosaurs themselves. Especially giant reptiles of the Cenozoic. Right now one of my prize pieces is a partial Megalania vertebra from Australia. However, I would like to acquire more large Cenozoic reptile fossils in the future, such as sebecosuchians, palaeophiids, giant crocodiles and giant tortoises. What material of this kind have TFF members seen available commercially?

 

Would also like to have information on Triassic non-dinosaur reptiles. And Palaeosaniwa, Hell Creek's Komodo dragon.

 

There were some large snake vertebrae coming out of the Paleocene of Mali back in the 90's, I think.  They were the size of any large fossil croc verts I've ever seen.  I bought one but later donated it (a researcher named Knight at a museum in South Carolina was going to take a look at it).  Any crocodilian tooth near or over 2 inches would be considered large.  A tooth like that is very rare from the late Paleocene Aquia Formation of Virginia and Maryland.

 

I haven't seen one but there might be some sizable croc teeth, bones, and scutes out of the Miocene-Pliocene Bone Valley Formation and a lot of late Miocene croc stuff came out of the Haile Quarry in Florida.  I've seen some teeth in the 1 to 1 1/2-inch range. 

 

The largest teeth I've seen in person have come out of the Pliocene-Pleistocene of Java.  A friend once showed me a massive tooth well over 2 inches.  I think it was an Australian dealer at Tucson sometime in the late 90's who had a mix of vertebrate fossils from there (rhino teeth, Stegodon teeth, water buffalo teeth, deer teeth, etc.).

 

Maybe thirty years ago, I was given the opportunity to look behind-the-scenes in the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.  I saw a skull of a Purussaurus, which was a giant Miocene caiman from Brazil.  It was not only long but unusually wide - a true Cenozoic monster.  I've never heard of any of that being for sale.  The Brazilians started cracking down on fossil exports by the late 90's after noticing all the Mesosaurus skeletons, various fishes, and Early Cretaceous arthropods for sale in the US and Europe.

 

About that long ago, a collector asked me to take a look at a tooth he found in the Lance Formation of Wyoming.  It was not quite an inch high and it had very fine serrations, as I recall.  It seemed flatter than any dinosaur tooth I was familiar with of the same size.  I sent it back to him saying that I thought it was a very large lizard tooth.

 

There's a thread in Member Collections called something like "Show Us Your Turtle and Croc material."  Check that out.

 

Jess

 

[Harry Pristis]

23 minutes ago, siteseer said:

 

There were some large snake vertebrae coming out of the Paleocene of Mali back in the 90's, I think.  They were the size of any large fossil croc verts I've ever seen.  I bought one but later donated it (a researcher named Knight at a museum in South Carolina was going to take a look at it).  . . . 

Jess

 

 

How did that donation work out for you, Jess?  I sent my Early Miocene snake material on loan to that guy.  After a few years, he ignored my letters demanding the return of the material.  He retired, and his replacement sent the bones back to me after NINE YEARS.  They were in their original packing, and there is no evidence that Knight ever even looked at the bones. 

 

 

[Carcharodontosaurus]

38 minutes ago, siteseer said:

 

There were some large snake vertebrae coming out of the Paleocene of Mali back in the 90's, I think.  They were the size of any large fossil croc verts I've ever seen.  I bought one but later donated it (a researcher named Knight at a museum in South Carolina was going to take a look at it).  Any crocodilian tooth near or over 2 inches would be considered large.  A tooth like that is very rare from the late Paleocene Aquia Formation of Virginia and Maryland.

 

I haven't seen one but there might be some sizable croc teeth, bones, and scutes out of the Miocene-Pliocene Bone Valley Formation and a lot of late Miocene croc stuff came out of the Haile Quarry in Florida.  I've seen some teeth in the 1 to 1 1/2-inch range. 

 

The largest teeth I've seen in person have come out of the Pliocene-Pleistocene of Java.  A friend once showed me a massive tooth well over 2 inches.  I think it was an Australian dealer at Tucson sometime in the late 90's who had a mix of vertebrate fossils from there (rhino teeth, Stegodon teeth, water buffalo teeth, deer teeth, etc.).

 

Maybe thirty years ago, I was given the opportunity to look behind-the-scenes in the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.  I saw a skull of a Purussaurus, which was a giant Miocene caiman from Brazil.  It was not only long but unusually wide - a true Cenozoic monster.  I've never heard of any of that being for sale.  The Brazilians started cracking down on fossil exports by the late 90's after noticing all the Mesosaurus skeletons, various fishes, and Early Cretaceous arthropods for sale in the US and Europe.

 

About that long ago, a collector asked me to take a look at a tooth he found in the Lance Formation of Wyoming.  It was not quite an inch high and it had very fine serrations, as I recall.  It seemed flatter than any dinosaur tooth I was familiar with of the same size.  I sent it back to him saying that I thought it was a very large lizard tooth.

 

There's a thread in Member Collections called something like "Show Us Your Turtle and Croc material."  Check that out.

 

Jess

 

The Mali snake material is very interesting and rare. I think the late Frank Menser had some labelled Palaeophis. I've put that on my fossil bucket list.

 

Purussaurus, I'd imagine, is any croc collector's impossible dream.

[Harry Pristis]

For comparison:

 

pala12008 Palaeophis.pdf

[siteseer]

22 hours ago, Harry Pristis said:

 

How did that donation work out for you, Jess?  I sent my Early Miocene snake material on loan to that guy.  After a few years, he ignored my letters demanding the return of the material.  He retired, and his replacement sent the bones back to me after NINE YEARS.  They were in their original packing, and there is no evidence that Knight ever even looked at the bones. 

 

 

 

Hi Harry,

 

I sent the vertebra via a friend who knew Knight well.  I never heard from Knight nor anyone else about it.  I think it was the museum in Charleston.  It was a cool vertebra.  I hope it didn't just go home with somebody.

 

Jess