Oviraptor egg, real? or fake?

[Riollo]

Hi all,

Well here it is. Oviraptor egg from a 30 year old collection located in the United States. Bought first and read posts on here about fakes later. Smart right? I'll attach pictures but my concerns are 1. It isn't pancaked like most ones I see, 2. Texture changes on the surface could be matrix repairs, 3. On broken areas shell thickness is not consistent. I'll add the best pictures I can. Almost looks like it was painted in the last picture. Thoughts on this would be appreciated. Good or bad lol.

[Troodon]

The shape is normal for a Elongatoolithus type egg.  The color variations is indeed a concern and may refect fill or resto.   I think I can see some of both.  These eggs typically should have an even color.  Its normal for the eggshell to be fractured or broken, the key is if the ornamentation lines up with the adjacent shell.  I suspect that center of the next to last photo may have composite eggshell on it.  The ornamentation looks different.  Other areas may exist.   You can try a good UV light and see if any paint shows.

[Riollo]

Okay thanks! I'll be going out to buy a UV light tomorrow. I need to get to the bottom of this so I know how bad the damage is lol.

[Troodon]

Not all UV lights work the same.  Buy on line here are some recommendations

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/124136-uv-flashlight-recommendations-amber-searching/&tab=comments#comment-1353359

 

Edit:

Not all paints are florescent.  Best is to look if ornamentation is the same and lines up with adjacent eggshell.

[Josesaurus rex]

Well, there's not much I can say that hasn't been mentioned before. However, I attach the photos of my partial egg that I have. It is not at all the best representative of an egg of Elongatoolithus, however I hope it serves as a reference to see that the ornamentation of the shell it has the same sense and orientation, and also the inner part sometimes comes with white spots in the middle of the red sediment of the filling, which is absolutely normal for this type of fossils, as I have observed, due to the natural sediments present in the terrain where they are found.

Edited August 3, 2022 by Josesaurus rex

[rocket]

Wait for the UV-pics

In my opinion it is a mix, 60 - 70% original, 30-40% restored with shell from another egg or rebuild with shells from the same one.

Most of the eggs are broken, compressed, sometimes (depends when you find it...) partly eroded

I add a pic of a perfect eggshale of this type, so you can see in details how it should look like

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by rocket

[Riollo]

Okay, so the great news is the UV light is here. The bad news is I really don't know what I am looking at. The attached pictures are the best I can come up with. ( please ignore the feet ) so what I am seeing is on the " complete " side there is a clear area where it is black with the bottom right side having a different texture and lighter color to it. On the " broken " side you can see the right side from bottom to about 75% up is the dame black and the other side is a lighter color. Clear divided areas. I don't see any sighns of plaster ( I also had a friend send me a repaired fossil from morocco so I would have an idea what I was seeing and it is clear as day when you put the light on plaster ) at this point I am hoping to have an idea about what is real on the fossil and what isn't. From the pictures you guys have added this " egg " had a much smoother texture and the texture from your eggs has the bumps outwards while the ones here almost seem to like they go in. It almost looks like the texture was stamped into the material if that makes sense?

[Josesaurus rex]

As I see it, I think that the darkest parts that are seen under the ultra vi light are the reconstructed parts, I say this because seeing those same parts in the photos with normal light, they are the ones that have a less consistent and very irregular shell ornamentation. I hope I'm wrong, it's just my opinion.

[Riollo]

6 hours ago, Josesaurus rex said:

As I see it, I think that the darkest parts that are seen under the ultra vi light are the reconstructed parts, I say this because seeing those same parts in the photos with normal light, they are the ones that have a less consistent and very irregular shell ornamentation. I hope I'm wrong, it's just my opinion.

You could be right, either way you look at it this is basically a 50% reconstructed piece at best. 

[Josesaurus rex]

Yes, it is very possible. I suggest you leave it at that, that's what I would do. Do not try to remove the reconstructed parts, because the real parts of the fossil could suffer irrecoverable damage, since when the pieces of shell are detached they are very fragile and it is difficult, but not impossible, to re-glue them. 

 

In addition, who made that restoration, it is seen that he invested his time so that it was as real as possible, it will not be the best, but at least I think you can see it as part of the money invested. 

 

I hope you see this as a learning to take into account for later, in a future purchase. 

 

[Riollo]

2 hours ago, Josesaurus rex said:

Yes, it is very possible. I suggest you leave it at that, that's what I would do. Do not try to remove the reconstructed parts, because the real parts of the fossil could suffer irrecoverable damage, since when the pieces of shell are detached they are very fragile and it is difficult, but not impossible, to re-glue them. 

 

In addition, who made that restoration, it is seen that he invested his time so that it was as real as possible, it will not be the best, but at least I think you can see it as part of the money invested. 

 

I hope you see this as a learning to take into account for later, in a future purchase. 

 

Yah I agree, I don't plan on selling it or anything. I'll keep it in my collection and just enjoy it as it is! Makes for a fun story and learning as I go is always good

[Josesaurus rex]

3 hours ago, Riollo said:

Yah I agree, I don't plan on selling it or anything. I'll keep it in my collection and just enjoy it as it is! Makes for a fun story and learning as I go is always good

I couldn't agree more with you. Anyway you have a good piece in your collection. Enjoy 

Edited August 13, 2022 by Josesaurus rex