Is this a partial Plesiosaur skull? or something else?

[msantix]

Hi,

 

I'm not sure what exactly this is? it is a strange fossil and according to the seller it is a Plesiosaur skull with a few traces of bone? and was found above the ground. Not sure what to make of that but I think I can see some tooth sockets and maybe the eye sockets (unless I am very mistaken), it just has me stumped! thanks for any help

 

[Jared C]

Definitely a skull, I'm not the best at plesiosaurs but I agree if the strata is correct. Any info on geologic formation or area it was found in?

[Mahnmut]

Cool find!

Indeed looks like an endocast with some remaining bone, I find it hard to differentiate which parts are positive or negative.

Best Regards,

J

[msantix]

Thanks! it is from Morocco near the town of Goulmima.

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Seen this, but I'm afraid that I don't have much more of an answer either. The shape definitely does seem suggestive, but as Jan mentioned, it may be an endocast, as I see very little actual bone texture there (at most it's very worn to the extent that there doesn't seem to be any cortical bone left). The eye sockets look strange and in negative, as do the tooth sockets. On the other hand, the ridge between the orbits does suggest a polycotylid skull (below a specimen from the Sauriermuseum Aathal in Switzerland). So while this does look like a plesiosaur skull, it's highly damaged and needs a lot of clean-up and restoration to bring out the best in it.