Mosasaurus jaw

[kirkjeremiah23]

Good morning all,

Been looking at purchasing a Mosasaurus jaw, but know to be weary of composites. What do you guys think of this one?? Is it authentic and or compostie?? I appreciate the help!!

[Nanotyrannus35]

The bones and the teeth are real. However, there are not good enough pictures to determine if the teeth are composite.

[Fitch1979]

Indeed, it would need better close up pictures of the individual teeth. Next to that .. already clear that one part of the jaw (lower mid) is composed. I bet the jaw is entirely composed though on a real fossil vert piece (but big chance from other mosa specimen). But to be 100% sure, you would need better macro pictures

[LordTrilobite]

Real bones and real teeth. Some of the bones do indeed look all original. But I don't believe that the jaw is all original. I think it's an assemblage of randomly composited bone with maybe one or two piece of actual jaw. The teeth look all over the place. I think all those teeth are composited in.

I'd avoid this piece.

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Yup, it's all been said already: the vertebrae and teeth look real, although the teeth do not belong to the jaw and have therefore been composited into the piece. The "jaw" itself is the worst offender, though, as to me it looks like a complete fabrication. It may be true that they've used fossil bone to construct it with, but the jaw lacks any of the typical structures you'd expect to find on the exterior of either upper or lower jaw - e.g., the sensory foramina - as well as any of the interior ones (i.e., it's neither the outside nor inside of a jaw). Avoid.

[kirkjeremiah23]

sounds good fellows,

I appreciate the info and passed on purchasing