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T. rex bite marks on Hadrosaur skull?


LordTrilobite

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I recently got this rather nice Edmontosaurus annectens braincase from the Lance formation. But what's interesting, it has this large hole in the top of the skull. The seller has told me that the hole is not the result of any collecting or prep damage. The seller found the piece themselves and apparently it was found upside down in the field. I've bought from this seller before and they always have high quality fossils so I'm inclined to believe the seller when they say that this hole is old damage.

So then my first thought would then be, could this be a big tooth mark? Although I don't want to jump to conclusions. It's a large gash on the top of the skull. On the top there are a few pieces of bone that kinda seem like they were pushed in and on the side there are some bone fragments that seem to be kinda push out. Something pushed in from the top and then ripped out to the side maybe? I have some T.rex replica teeth and one seems to fit fairly decently. So I'm wondering, how plausible is it that this is a T. rex bite mark? We know T.rex ate Edmontosaurus of course, and we know it can crush bone. Opinions?

 

Braincase overview.

edmonto_braincase01.jpg.fff5fed3dfadaf41cf0d9c6bd77124d0.jpgedmonto_braincase02.jpg.1ebd4d93abf4db805ea965e9fcfbc2b5.jpgedmonto_braincase03.jpg.261a872c6764d124872de934c7ceedc8.jpgedmonto_braincase04.jpg.775d0df50687cd9e3e9ad2115f9c8baa.jpg

 

Hole closeups.

edmonto_braincase05.jpg.0a5c5b4447017baa1dc31649f3c463a3.jpgedmonto_braincase06.jpg.85fd9592dc5f66079df6e081a1c568ac.jpgedmonto_braincase07.jpg.009c7b098426f133a07de37e706a190a.jpgedmonto_braincase08.jpg.404c23e26fa530a2a7c5f75349eb7f5e.jpgedmonto_braincase09.jpg.0746cc90e5c332ca2731cd7955482344.jpgedmonto_braincase10.jpg.8012608debbcce261319718c8fdb870e.jpgedmonto_braincase11.jpg.4fdfee38f37c1dc029becc26d5477e7a.jpg

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Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite

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Prehistoric brain surgery by Dr. Dino Saur MD? :mellow:

Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties.

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Very interesting, wonderful specimen. Its not a clean puncture is it?  Wouldn’t a tooth make a clean cut and the leave marks on the bone from other teeth?  This is a cool piece, is it worthy of sending a photo to Pete Larsen who's seen many bite punctures and get his opinion 

 

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39 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Very interesting, wonderful specimen. Its not a clean puncture is it?  Wouldn’t a tooth make a clean cut and the leave marks on the bone from other teeth?  This is a cool piece, is it worthy of sending a photo to Pete Larsen who's seen many bite punctures and get his opinion 

 

No, it doesn't exactly look like a clean puncture. It kinds looks like something punctured from the top and ripped to the side. I cannot see any other clear marks. Most of the other damage looks like generic damage that could have happened at any time. There is one small area on the left postorbital in the last photo though. The distal end is damage but part of that kinda looks semicircular. With some imagination I can see how that could be a tooth mark as well.

Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite

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It also could have been a more classic puncture and just poor preservation gotten it to the point it is today.  Will never know.

Hey any regrowth going on here

edmonto_braincase10.jpg.8012608debbcce261319718c8fdb870e.jpg.2e5725e1a4b316b161aea8a212dfc044.jpg

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The soft look is mostly the glue coating. I don't see any signs of healing.

Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite

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So much pre-depositional damage, I dont know that you could ever get a good answer.  Still a sweet fossil though!

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"There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin

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1 hour ago, LordTrilobite said:

The soft look is mostly the glue coating. I don't see any signs of healing.

What kind of healing should one expect when the braincase is punctured. Isn't that generally fatal?

 

 

Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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3 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

What kind of healing should one expect when the braincase is punctured. Isn't that generally fatal?

I wouldn't expect there to be any. But Troodon mentioned the area that looks too smooth. So I clarified that's due to the glue.

 

 

And thanks all, for the feedback.

Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite

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That is an amazing specimen! I would say a definite puncture wound for sure and then just erosion over time to kind of smooth out and roll the edges in. Congratulations again. These are my favorite kind of specimens!

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