Backdoc Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I bought this fossil at an antique store in Napa this weekend and they forgot to put the description of the fossil in with the packaging. Ugh... Anyone have an idea? From what I can remember on the description 200,000,000 years transition from amphibian to reptile I put the dime on for relative measurement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrocklds Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 it is a keichosaurus gui from china. here is some more info on it. Keichousaurus (KEE-chi-o-SAUR-us): The Keishousauridae were amphibious reptiles. They lived in a beach-like environment. They have a small body with a long neck and a triangle head bone with teeth in a single line. The eye bone is large and circular. The vertebral column consists of a neck section (22 vertebra); back section (19 vertebra); tail section (more than 37 vertebra). They were equipped with four legs with fin shaped hands and feet. 3 An early reptile that lived during the Triassic period, roughly 210 million years ago. Keishousaurus was about 6-11 inches (15-29 cm) long and had a long neck, a long tail, five-toed feet with long digits, and a pointed head with sharp teeth. It may have lived in the water. This quadruped had sturdy legs. Fossils have been found in Guanglin, Guizhou Province, China. 11 Discovered in mid-1957 this specimen represents the first marine dinosaur reptile fossil found that evolved into a separate genus in the China area. Brock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 It's a Keichousaurus; click on the link below for the details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keichousaurus (Note that it is one of the most falsified Chinese "fossil" imports around). "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backdoc Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 Its gotta be a fake. I just thought it was a cool "starter fossil" What would be the telltale signs of a fake? You guys are amazing, thanks so much for such a quick response to a noob's question. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Its gotta be a fake. I just thought it was a cool "starter fossil" What would be the telltale signs of a fake? You guys are amazing, thanks so much for such a quick response to a noob's question. Steve Does not have to be fake.. many of these are coming out of china. Some are restored, but many are in very good condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 ...What would be the telltale signs of a fake?... The most glaring fakes are literally carved out of the matrix, or cast, while others are constructs utilizing chicken bones. Then there are "restorations" where a number of bones are real, and sometimes even from the same individual. Allmost every one you see for sale has the same idealized pose, and can be the bones of many "messed-up" fossils composited into a hand carved matrix. That said, and remembering that I'm looking at a photo on a lousy laptop screen, yours does not look to be an egregious fake. It might have repairs and restorations (to "idealize" it for sale), but I don't think you got ripped. Go over it with a blacklight; repairs will usually show up. Just remember that the folks that are producing these things have gotten very good at it. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFossilHunter Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 It's hui, not gui though....which is, by the way, means something very indecent in the russian language... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Here are a couple of pages on faked Chinese fossils. http://paleo-quest.skynetblogs.be/ ... EDIT: deleted.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robii Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 a lot of these are fake.. but i have to say the skull on this one looks nice.. usually theyre not... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backdoc Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 A higher res close-up might be helpful? If so which part of it would be the most telling? Steve Does not have to be fake.. many of these are coming out of china. Some are restored, but many are in very good condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrocklds Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 i would say that the fossil is complete, just a poor (standard) chinese prep job. look closely at the fingers and toes and the tip of the tail, they are often "prepped" off and repainted to look nicer. other than that i think yours is very nice. the lower arms look a bit fishy to me but that could just be my imagination. Brock ps thanks mike for the correction, i didn't mean to use vulgar language Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 One of the better items of seen come out of an antique shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I'm really bothered by the fact that there seems to be rampant fraudulent goods of many types being imported, and nobody seems to be going to jail. The purveyors of these goods are short sighted, and rely on the concept of "there's always another sucker waiting to be taken", but the flip side of that equation is that I would never buy certain types of fossils from certain places because of the fraud. They've permanently lost the ability to make money off of me because they can't do business honestly. In fact, I'm really not big on buying ANY fossil anymore, because of fraud. Any show I go to, I see cool things I want and then notice something wrong with them as I'm contemplating buying them. Whether it's shark teeth, ammonites, trilobites, or bondo lizards, way too much of it has been pranked with, and the dealers know it even if they didn't do it. But I believe in KARMA, whatever that is, and the good old "what goes around comes around", and the even better, "Don't get mad, and don't get even. Get one UP!" And all those Crookasaurus slickissimi out there just never know who might be layin' for 'em... (P.S. - What have I gotten worked up, like three times today already? Time to chill. Where's a Jacuzzissimus warmeri?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backdoc Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 Here is a closeup from the side... Looks like its been enhanced with paint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenixflood Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Here is a closeup from the side... Looks like its been enhanced with paint? If it is painted you can find out by dipping a paintbrush in paint thinner and brushing it on an area you think has been painted. It shouldn't hurt the fossil. If it is painted it will come off and then you'll know for sure. The soul of a Fossil Hunter is one that is seeking, always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backdoc Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 Great Idea! If it is painted you can find out by dipping a paintbrush in paint thinner and brushing it on an area you think has been painted. It shouldn't hurt the fossil. If it is painted it will come off and then you'll know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Ive been a painting contractor for 30+ years. Use laquar thinner or acitone. Paint thinner will not 'cut' most types of paint once its dried weather it be an oil base or water based paint with whatever kind/s of polymeres. If you do use paintthinner and it doesnt 'cut' what you think may be paint, and then it doesnt come off, then you can very easily mistake your fossils for not being painted. In any case, good luck. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpbowden Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I have always found it hard to tell anything from photos, bad eye and all. But please have a look at these...... Pelvis clear, this is real, and test to prove it. Compare and form an opinion. http://www.triassica.com/My%20Pictures%20from%20computer/keichousaurs/2.jpg http://www.triassica.com/fossils/keichousaur_fossils/keichousaurus_fossils-8.html http://www.indiana9fossils.com/Vertebrates...eptileKeich.htm I have a friend (son's family) that sent me some trilobites from China, thinking there were all fakes they were given away. I saved one for myself and found out that all were very real and great finds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn71 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I'm really bothered by the fact that there seems to be rampant fraudulent goods of many types being imported, and nobody seems to be going to jail. The only way a Chinese fossil dealer will go to jail is if he exports real fossils... www.EarthFragments.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawooten Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I bought this fossil at an antique store in Napa this weekend and they forgot to put the description of the fossil in with the packaging. Ugh...Anyone have an idea? From what I can remember on the description 200,000,000 years transition from amphibian to reptile I put the dime on for relative measurement. This one looks like the Tanystropheus from the triassic Period which we collect at the Solite Quarry on the Virginia-North Carolina border not far from the Museum in Martinsville, Va. It is called Tanny for short and can be found in the Triassic rocks of Italy and Switzerland along with NC/Va border. The story on http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/120382 and http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2004/prVT_Casey.htm We helped find some gliding reptile at this same quarry for the study http://www.vmnh.net/documents/Gliding_Reptile.pdf The best days are spent collecting fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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