Pedal Ungual from a Dinosaur?

[Ramon]

Last Spring Break I took a fossil hunting trip to the Late Cretaceous Cerro del Pueblo formation of Coahuila, Mexico. Found a lot of cool stuff, including partial tyrannosaurid teeth, a partial hadrosaur tooth, a bunch of turtle carapace pieces, a croc vert, a lot of Ankylosaurian osteoderms, tons of freshwater and marine gastropods, and much more.

This piece stands out, because I have been unable to ID it. My best guess would be a Pedal Ungual from some dinosaur, but it is unlike I’ve seen online. I’m hoping some dinosaur experts can help me out. 

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Ramon

[Troodon]

Just looks like a bone fragment nothing diagnostic to say anything specific about it.  Great that you found some partial teeth, pretty rare stuff.

[Ramon]

3 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Just looks like a bone fragment nothing diagnostic to say anything specific about it.  Great that you found some partial teeth, pretty rare stuff.

 

Yeah, we found 2 partial tyrannosaurid teeth, which are pretty worn down.

But my favorite finds were some associated Ankylosaurian osteoderms. Those are extremely rare, and are potentially scientifically important. 

[connorp]

Apologies if I'm off base, but I thought export of fossils from Mexico was not allowed?

[Ramon]

15 minutes ago, connorp said:

Apologies if I'm off base, but I thought export of fossils from Mexico was not allowed?

I have heard that only the sale of fossils from Mexico is illegal. And that as far as collecting fossils, it only becomes an issue when they are of extreme scientific importance. 
I know of many private collectors in Mexico that collect fossils from Mexico, (some of them public figures) and have never gotten in trouble for it. 
A volunteer at a museum in Mexico, told me that if I ever find something very important, such as a partial skeleton, I should contact them. 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Ramon

[Thecosmilia Trichitoma]

2 minutes ago, Ramon said:

have heard that only the sale of fossils from Mexico is illegal. As far as collecting fossils, it only becomes an issue when they are of extreme scientific importance. 
I know of many private collectors in Mexico that collect fossils, and have never gotten in trouble for it. 
A volunteer at a museum in Mexico, told me that if I ever find something very important, such as a partial skeleton, I should contact them. 

Fossils in Mexico are considered cultural artifacts, and unless you have special permission from the government to export them, it is illegal.

[Thecosmilia Trichitoma]

Although the chances are low of you getting caught, export is illegal and you can be seriously fined/arrested if you are.

Edited March 27, 2021 by Thecosmilia Trichitoma

[Kane]

As good a reminder as any that it is the responsibility of the collector to obtain their information about laws regarding collecting and export from official government sources, not secondhand statements and anecdotal information.

[Ramon]

14 minutes ago, Thecosmilia Trichitoma said:

Fossils in Mexico are considered cultural artifacts, and unless you have special permission from the government to export them, it is illegal.

Oh wow, I have been researching this now, but I haven’t been able to find a lot of information on Mexico’s laws regarding fossils.
Do you know which specific piece of legislation mentions the exporting of fossils from Mexico?

[Kane]

14 minutes ago, Ramon said:

Oh wow, I have been researching this now, but I haven’t been able to find a lot of information on Mexico’s laws regarding fossils.
Do you know which specific piece of legislation mentions the exporting of fossils from Mexico?

Chapter III, sec. 28:

 

ARTICULO 28.- Son monumentos arqueológicos los bienes muebles e inmuebles, producto de culturas anteriores al establecimiento de la hispánica en el territorio nacional, así como los restos humanos, de la flora y de la fauna, relacionados con esas culturas.

 

ARTICULO 28 BIS.- Para los efectos de esta Ley y de su Reglamento, las disposiciones sobre monumentos y zonas arqueológicos serán aplicables a los vestigios o restos fósiles de seres orgánicos que habitaron el territorio nacional en épocas pretéritas y cuya investigación, conservación, restauración, recuperación o utilización revistan interés paleontológico, circunstancia que deberá consignarse en la respectiva declaratoria que expedirá el Presidente de la República.

 

From here: 

http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/ref/lfmzaah.htm

 

 

[connorp]

1 hour ago, Ramon said:

I know of many private collectors in Mexico that collect fossils from Mexico, (some of them public figures) and have never gotten in trouble for it. 
A volunteer at a museum in Mexico, told me that if I ever find something very important, such as a partial skeleton, I should contact them. 

As you say, collectors in Mexico. If you transport fossils into the US, that is a whole different subject than collecting.

 

[Ramon]

55 minutes ago, Kane said:

Chapter III, sec. 28:

 

ARTICULO 28.- Son monumentos arqueológicos los bienes muebles e inmuebles, producto de culturas anteriores al establecimiento de la hispánica en el territorio nacional, así como los restos humanos, de la flora y de la fauna, relacionados con esas culturas.

 

ARTICULO 28 BIS.- Para los efectos de esta Ley y de su Reglamento, las disposiciones sobre monumentos y zonas arqueológicos serán aplicables a los vestigios o restos fósiles de seres orgánicos que habitaron el territorio nacional en épocas pretéritas y cuya investigación, conservación, restauración, recuperación o utilización revistan interés paleontológico, circunstancia que deberá consignarse en la respectiva declaratoria que expedirá el Presidente de la República.

 

From here: 

http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/ref/lfmzaah.htm

 

 

Well, thanks for the information everyone. I didn’t know about the exportation laws. I’ll probably donate a lot of my finds to local museums from Coahuila. Those Ankylosaurian osteoderms might be of interest to them, especially considering the scarcity of published scientific literature on ankylosaurs/nodosaurs from the formation.