msantix Posted September 5, 2022 Share Posted September 5, 2022 Hi, I think this does look all natural with no obvious red flags, but I wanted to make sure with some opinions here. It comes from Ait Hani, Morocco (Jurassic in age). Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guns Posted September 5, 2022 Share Posted September 5, 2022 Imo look more like a Theropod foot claw . look good tho ! but please wait and see what @Troodon think about this claw cheers Guns 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted September 5, 2022 Share Posted September 5, 2022 Very interesting, all I have to say. Agree with Guns, Sauropods typically do not have a flat planter surface and a triangular profile with blood grooves extending out, more theropod-ish The bone structure however does not give me a theropod look. What is it? I do not know could also be an Orthischian or even a very different sauropod. Hey its the Jurassic of Morocco where anything is possible and unusual that has yielded a weird Ankylosaur and Stego. Its a cool claw hopefully some day we will have answers. Great to have in your collection no red flags and the locality can give us clues what age it is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msantix Posted September 5, 2022 Author Share Posted September 5, 2022 Thanks, but to me it looks too bulky to be theropod and since it is from around the mid-Jurassic I don't think there was a theropod large enough to have a claw that looks this bulky? maybe you are right that it could be from any type of dinosaur and since little is known, it probably better not to jump to conclusions just yet. Is there someone I might be able to email (a Paleontologist) who could be familiar with fossils from this locality or someone familiar with theropod & sauropod claws? I'm just really tempted to find a most likely id for this claw and I still feel it is Sauropod even though I could be wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted September 5, 2022 Share Posted September 5, 2022 You can try to contact the authors of jurassic material from Morocco like Susannah Maidment who authored the Stego and Anky papers. How do you know its mis Jurassic? https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01553-6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msantix Posted September 5, 2022 Author Share Posted September 5, 2022 Thanks! sorry I meant early to mid-Jurassic, I am not sure but the seller suggested it could be mid-Jurassic, in other words a guess due to the lack of research. I still don't know if the size would fit a Theropod nor do I know if the claw might be from a juvenile (which would suggest Sauropod) or from an adult (which could mean anything). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted September 5, 2022 Share Posted September 5, 2022 Size is not the key characteristic its the morphology. Let us know if there is any response 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msantix Posted September 5, 2022 Author Share Posted September 5, 2022 I messaged David Martill about this claw as he has helped me so much in identifying Pterosaur fossils and what genus they could belong to. Anyway, here is his response..... I do not know the locality, but there are a huge number of new sites opening up in the high Atlas around Demnate. There is a named sauropod from one of the localities. It is called Cetiosaurus maghrebiensis. It was discovered by a Swiss geological mapping team back in the 1980s. Check out a paper by Monbarron. This claw is very worn but definitely a claw, and likely sauropod. Far too chunky for theropod. Cheers Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msantix Posted October 3, 2022 Author Share Posted October 3, 2022 Sorry to bring up and old thread, but I have more photos of the claw and I am convinced it is a Sauropod claw. Looks natural (one glued repair). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phos_01 Posted October 6, 2022 Share Posted October 6, 2022 Hello, I like to point out that this claw was posted earlier here with other photos, but I recognized the claw I see that @msantix has also pointed this out. I also leaned more towards a Sauropod claw due to its thick typical size. Its real that looks for sure, sadly tip is a like broken off , its needs some good preparation and cleaning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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