Yixian Chinese Pterosaur

[FF7_Yuffie]

Hello,

 

I have been offered a Chinese pterosaur tooth--from Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China. There are a lot of toothed pterosaurs from there, so I guess narrowing down an actual species will be difficult. But I wish to make sure that it looks pterosaur rather than being something else. Unfortunately the matrix was split and reglued, so it has a repair down the middle. It is 2cm long.

 

Seller is in Taiwan, so export of the fossil is ok.

 

 

 

 

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

I always find this kind of casual hard to confirm (much like very small plesiosaur teeth, actually), as they could easily be fish teeth. Now I believe pterosaur teeth are laterally flattened, but that can see tricky to tell from a piece embedded in matrix, in my opinion - the more if the matrix is broken. The best way to verify such pieces - if you can even call it that - I think would be by comparison with better preserved specimens. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to help you out in this area. But very interested to hear what more knowledgeable people think of this...

[FF7_Yuffie]

37 minutes ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said:

I always find this kind of casual hard to confirm (much like very small plesiosaur teeth, actually), as they could easily be fish teeth. Now I believe pterosaur teeth are laterally flattened, but that can see tricky to tell from a piece embedded in matrix, in my opinion - the more if the matrix is broken. The best way to verify such pieces - if you can even call it that - I think would be by comparison with better preserved specimens. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to help you out in this area. But very interested to hear what more knowledgeable people think of this...

 

I had a browse on facebook, on the off chance some of these had been sold before. A few appeared---which do look similar. But at the same time. there was a discussion on whether they actually were pterosaur or not.

The striations at the top of the tooth give me doubts. I can't remember seeing those sort of striations on pterosaur teeth before, not reaching so high up.

[FF7_Yuffie]

Update,

 

A pterosaur expert from China took a look for me. He concludes it is pterosaur, he ruled out fish because of the bottom.

 

Looks like I will buy this. A China pterosaur will be nice.

[John]

On 5/16/2021 at 10:36 AM, FF7_Yuffie said:

 

I had a browse on facebook, on the off chance some of these had been sold before. A few appeared---which do look similar. But at the same time. there was a discussion on whether they actually were pterosaur or not.

The striations at the top of the tooth give me doubts. I can't remember seeing those sort of striations on pterosaur teeth before, not reaching so high up.

 

They are found on some Ornithocheirids, especially the larger ones.

[FF7_Yuffie]

3 hours ago, John said:

 

They are found on some Ornithocheirids, especially the larger ones.

 

Cheers. Most of my Ornithocheirids are UK, so quite small and often waterworn. I bought a Niger pterosaur tooth--larger one, that had them too.

 

Thanks for the help