What is this egg fossil?

[Big Mac boi]

So I was on an auction website and an egg caught my eye it was stated it was 1 million to 2.58 million years old. It was also stated that this egg was found with other eggs in the nest, and they were selling the other eggs separately.

I did research on it- the name on the website as a Madagascar Abrupt Giant Tortoise - egg - Aldabrachelys abrupta.

When I searched for it the shell of the presumed fossil popped up and that's about it no art work no skulls no other fossils just the shell, so I thought you guys might know.

 

  

  

  

[Ludwigia]

Maybe @Tidgy's Dad might have something to say about this.

[Fossildude19]

It's sketchy.   

[Top Trilo]

I'm with Tim, a perfect sphere without a single crack or piece of eggshell missing. Is it light? It looks like it would be hollow, can you get a close up picture with the light straight on instead of from the back?

[Big Mac boi]

14 minutes ago, Top Trilo said:

I'm with Tim, a perfect sphere without a single crack or piece of eggshell missing. Is it light? It looks like it would be hollow, can you get a close up picture with the light straight on instead of from the back?

Sure here are more photos that I took and from the website and yes the egg is very light and hollow 

Edited May 21, 2021 by Big Mac boi

[Top Trilo]

Texture looks man-made to me, but not sure what the texture of a tortoise egg looks like,

[Bronzviking]

Tortoise eggs are spherical but I doubt a million year old egg would look that pristine. Always try to buy from a reputable Fossil Dealer. See pic of modern egg below.

[Big Mac boi]

On 5/21/2021 at 7:31 PM, Bronzviking said:

Tortoise eggs are spherical but I doubt a million year old egg would look that pristine. Always try to buy from a reputable Fossil Dealer. See pic of modern egg below.

So it's safe to say it's fake right?

[Top Trilo]

23 minutes ago, Big Mac boi said:

So it's safe to say it's fake right?

No one has said for sure that it is fake, I definitely don't have enough expertise to determine fake or real. I would wait for Adam (@Tidgy's Dad) since he has a tortoise and may know more about tortoise eggs.

[hadrosauridae]

"light and hollow" are very bad indication for fossils in general.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Tortoise eggs can be round or oval, but the one shown is the right shape for the Aldabra tortoise: pretty much round. The size is also about right for the genus. 

The texture looks a little off and tortoise eggs are quite thin, and in the case of the modern Aldabra tortoise, soft and squishy - sort of rubbery., The fossil ones I have seen, especially of larger species, tend to be squished badly out of shape, or cracked and broken. 

I don't think that this is one. 

[Big Mac boi]

22 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Tortoise eggs can be round or oval, but the one shown is the right shape for the Aldabra tortoise: pretty much round. The size is also about right for the genus. 

The texture looks a little off and tortoise eggs are quite thin, and in the case of the modern Aldabra tortoise, soft and squishy - sort of rubbery., The fossil ones I have seen, especially of larger species, tend to be squished badly out of shape, or cracked and broken. 

I don't think that this is one. 

Is it a fossil at least?

[Tidgy's Dad]

3 hours ago, Big Mac boi said:

Is it a fossil at least?

I don't think so. 

[RJB]

  For me, the instant I look at this, my eyeballs told me it was a fake.  Im no expert but would be super suspect of this.  Good luck

 

RB

[turtlesteve]

It is hypothetically possible it could be a real tortoise egg that was infertile, dried out completely, and is now hollow (but otherwise not mineralized).  Giant tortoises inhabited all of Madagascar only a couple thousand years back, and the last of them went extinct only about 500 years ago.  So if elephant bird eggs have been found intact, tortoise eggs might still exist, because tortoises were far more numerous than elephant birds (and they bury their eggs).  There is also the possibility of a dried out egg from a modern Aldabra tortoise.
 

I have NO confidence that it’s real.  But I do hatch tortoise eggs every year, and have also dug up old ones that got missed when they were laid.  The size and appearance seems reasonable to me, so if it’s fake they did a good job.  The fine lines/etchings on the surface resemble root traces.

 

If the seller has photos of broken eggs or eggs with remains in them, it would make it much more believable...

[Big Mac boi]

UPDATE 

So after finding out the egg is suspicious I contacted the website to return the item the website sadly rejected it so i went to the seller and contacted him if I can return it and asked about the authentication about the egg if it comes with a certificate or not he said it did come with a certificate 

So do you all think the certificate is fabricated too? 

 

 

[Randyw]

That type has only been extinct 750 years...... most material is dated from 750-2850 years old...... so old egg maybe but not fossilized......

[hadrosauridae]

That "certification" isnt worth the paper its printed on.  I can print the same thing for any fossil I own.  There is no authenticity or authority behind this piece of paper.

[JohnJ]

@Big Mac boi

I appreciate your attempt to blur the company name on the certificate; but, I removed the image of it.  As previously stated, certificates of authenticity add no credibility to a fossil's identification or genuineness.  

[HamptonsDoc]

Turtle and tortoise eggs are tough. I have a few and some look similar to yours. I’m not educated enough on them to comment though about their authenticity. There are perfectly spherical ones though. A very nice Chinese one sold through Bonhams about 15 years- you can look up the old listing still.