jnoun11 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 hi john fossils from Moroccan phosphates are multitude on fossils shows, most of them are faked, but exist also a multitude of beautiful exquisite fossils, rare species , i choice vertebrates but its the same for invertebrates. is because the customers are not specialist or thinks they can have rarity for peanuts ,the fossil market is full of fake. i do this topics on Mosasaur in many other forum for helping fossils lovers to determinate their own fossils easily . i do in French , in German and in English. ideally i will like to do for each species the complete anatomy on line ,available for free for everyone interested in vertebrates paleontology but it s huge work and i have so much work here ,i can not do that, also i m not scientist and i try my best to make the best preparation , mounting or determination . sometime i mounted wrong my own specimen ,and i correct years after years my work, so now i said to people ,what i show today is my last version until better knowledge . vertebrate paleontology is not a work , its a passion and lot of people do this job for money or without passion or to much ego and is not good for science . lot of people take my pictures and just copy but they miss in reconstitution of they fossils because they didn't take the time before preparation of the fossils to learn how to do the best work, people didn't read because most of the scientific publications are boring . and to much fossils dealers consider the customer is a idiot and it will never see what is fake or what is real. customers rarely listen the good advices , they want easily buy some fossils, for the less money it s possible and they just want to show to friends how great they are ... even the dealer look friendly, vertebrates are not potatoes, when you buy one you must take your time, asking for pictures of the unprepared material ,or step of the cleaning process and when is doubt about one fossil...dont buy i wish this topic will clean a little bit the market from the tricky dealers or bad people, morocco is a great country for fossils probably one of the best in a world , just be aware so the dealers will take more care of the fossils and the market will be full of great fossils from morocco. enjoy the beauty and the diversity of life from past to today. friendly jnoun 9 The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 "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...
JohnJ Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Very well said, jnoun. Your topic has been "Pinned". The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfin1974 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Wow!! thanks for taking the time to put this together, great job awesome pics... i've learned alot here, very interesting thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Great thread. Great information. Hats off. Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafel_93 Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 Congratulations for this post! I've learnt a lot of things about these fossils! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laboratary FODERE Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Thank you Sergio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzagiceras Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Prognathodon solvayi SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY Order SQUAMATA Oppell, 1811 Family MOSASAURIDAE Gervais, 1853 Subfamily MOSASAURINAE Williston, 1897 Genus PROGNATHODON Dollo, 1889 *Prognathodon solvayi = Prognathosaurus solvayi note: This specimen is actually unique and didn t exist officially in Morocco DSCN6079.JPG skull DSCN0636.JPG close-up of teeth I hope this one went into a museum or public collection. I doubt it is a Prognathodon. To me looks like the first complete skull of Platecarpus? ptychodon, a rare species so far only known from teeth. It needs to be scientifically described. Awesome specimens! Thanks for sharing... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzagiceras Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Platecarpus ptychodon systematic paleontology Reptilia Laurenti 1768 Squamata Oppel 1811 Mosasauridae Gervais 1853 Plioplatecarpinae Russell 1967 Platecarpus Cope 1869 Platecarpus ptychodon Arambourg , 1952 publication: ARAMBOURG C. 1952. — Les vertébrés fossiles des gisements de phosphates (Maroc – Algérie – Tunisie). Notes et Mémoires du Service géologique du Maroc 92:1-372. diagnosis :small teeth with bicarinate higly laterally compressed crowns, subequal lingal and labial surfaces bearing verticals striations that are more numerous on the lingual face and developed only on the two thirds of the crown height. The dental morphology of P.ptychodon is quite distinct from those of other mosasaurids, such that this taxon (which was erected on the basis of isolated teeth only) is provisionally regarded as valid. 12 or 13 teeth on a dentary, 14 on a maxillary DSC01071.JPG skeleton DSC06581.JPG skull DSC01122.JPG close-up of the teeth Ok just scrolled further down - and being amazed! You have a complete skeleton of P.? ptychodon...!!! Still I do not believe the other specimen is a Prognathodon. Maybe some other form of plioplatecarpine? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herb Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I would seriously NOT want to meet one of those things swimming! Very informative, "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricanPaleo Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I had thought this might be a Halisaurus, but based on your images I wonder if it could be a Platecarpus ptychodon skull - do you (or others) have an opinion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Jnoun; Thank you for this very informative post. I visited Morocco almost twenty years ago and found that your country is literally a treasure trove of fossils. I observed fossils being sold just about everywhere, without any scientific knowledge, as curios. I'l admit I bought a few cephalopods and a trilobite though I really wasn't into collecting back then. Since then I've seen lots of these fossils have made their way to the U.S. and today make up a large component of the market for fossil curios that are available at shops, shows and on the net. I too am impressed. This year I found a stream worn mosasaur tooth in New Jersey and count it among my best finds of the year. The fossils you show are incredible, but it's the scientific knowledge you share that I believe that transforms these remarkable specimens from curios to stories about life in prehistoric seas. By doing so I feel you give them the respect they and your beautiful country deserve. Thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olenellus Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Below are my collection of Upper Cretaceous Mosasaurus beaugei teeth (from the Ouled Abdoun Basin of Morocco) and a painting of the acutal marian reptile, which I posted awhile back. This might be the most famous mosasaur found in Morocco. I've also posted Enchodus (giant fish) teeth from the same area. ---- Olenellus 1 Olenellus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVB Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Very good info,, thanks so much. I'm just learning about Morocco mosasaurs, but have seen and collected a number here in Manitoba, Canada. Our local musuem, the Canadain fossil Discovery Centre ( discoverfossils.com) has Canada's largest collection of mosasaurs, and a number of plesiosaurs,too. Can you please comment on the apparent scarcity/rareness of plesiousaur fossils, especially skulls, from |Morocco? We have very few skulls and tons of vertebrae, as usual. But Morocco plesio skulls seem even rarer. Thanks. Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Hi Jnoun, Years ago, when I started going to the Tucson shows, I was amazed by the diversity of mosasaur tooth types from the Moroccan phosphates. Being interested in sharks, I thought some of the teeth might have represented different jaw positions but some of the tooth forms did represent different genera, if not species. Those are nice photos of the Prognathodon sp. skull. Where is that specimen on display? Do you know which publication (or publications) was used as a guide in preparing that skeleton? I have seen some nice figures for bones of other mosasaurs but have not seen many for Prognathodon sp. It does seem to be one of the more common forms from Morocco. Are there a number of well-prepped skulls or skeletons on display in Europe? Thank you for taking the time to list and distinguish them for this forum. I had not seen a specimen of Eremiasaurus before. Jess Prognathodon .sp SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGYOrder SQUAMATA Oppell, 1811Family MOSASAURIDAE Gervais, 1853Subfamily MOSASAURINAE Williston, 1897Genus PROGNATHODON Dollo, 1889 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnoun11 Posted April 19, 2014 Author Share Posted April 19, 2014 Hi Jnoun, Years ago, when I started going to the Tucson shows, I was amazed by the diversity of mosasaur tooth types from the Moroccan phosphates. Being interested in sharks, I thought some of the teeth might have represented different jaw positions but some of the tooth forms did represent different genera, if not species. Those are nice photos of the Prognathodon sp. skull. Where is that specimen on display? Do you know which publication (or publications) was used as a guide in preparing that skeleton? I have seen some nice figures for bones of other mosasaurs but have not seen many for Prognathodon sp. It does seem to be one of the more common forms from Morocco. Are there a number of well-prepped skulls or skeletons on display in Europe? Thank you for taking the time to list and distinguish them for this forum. I had not seen a specimen of Eremiasaurus before. Jess hi jess prognathodon is a most common specie in moroccan phosphates, but because the specie is allready studied, the specialists dont make revision of this huge groupe of reptiles. in europe is no well prepared skull from moroccans mosasaurs, because the people they prepared them dont care about anatomy and thinks nobody will see that. most of the people didnt care about correct anatomy, is to bad. eremiasaurus is very rare mosasaur . adn i joint some internet links for more informations about prognathodon: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2011.601714#preview https://www.google.com/#q=prognathodon+pdf&start=10 The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Hi Jnoun11, Thank you for your comments and the links. Two weeks ago, I had a chance to see an unprepped mosasaur skull from the phosphates and I helped take part of it out of matrix. It was crushed with some of the bones shifted over to one side so it was time-consuming to separate the bones and teeth. The jaws were pressed tightly against each other. If anyone is going to be working on one, make sure you harden the bone surface as you clean it. As is often the case, the bones are more fragile than they look. Jess hi jess prognathodon is a most common specie in moroccan phosphates, but because the specie is allready studied, the specialists dont make revision of this huge groupe of reptiles. in europe is no well prepared skull from moroccans mosasaurs, because the people they prepared them dont care about anatomy and thinks nobody will see that. most of the people didnt care about correct anatomy, is to bad. eremiasaurus is very rare mosasaur . adn i joint some internet links for more informations about prognathodon: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2011.601714#preview https://www.google.com/#q=prognathodon+pdf&start=10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnoun11 Posted June 3, 2014 Author Share Posted June 3, 2014 hi mosasaurs lovers another new mosasaur in moroccans phosphates. look like prognathodon little ,but the teeth are weird... if somebody have a determination about this specimen, welcome. 1 The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laboratary FODERE Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 It's the same ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnoun11 Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 It's the same ? hi mister tartoche your specimen is halisaurus arambourgi, is differents , on my specimen the teeth are lateraly compressed. 1 The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitch1979 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 (edited) Hey Jnoun, Some while ago .. I came across this in Morocco, I guess it's a kind of Prognatodon? nose: sclerotic ring: skull: Edited December 18, 2014 by Fitch1979 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVB Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 very NICE MOSASAUR SKULL.. jOE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izak_ Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 YOU ARE A WALKING ENCYCLOPAEDIA! That is a lot of info… That will come in handy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnoun11 Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 hi fitch and dinoboy it s a joung prognathodon, very nice specimen, the sclerotic ring is superb. unfortunatly prognathodon in morocco is not studied yet. and lot of scientific work about phosphates material are incomplete. i can not going further for the specie. nobody is a walking encyclopaedia , after 200 years of mosasaurs studies nobody can give a correct definition of mosasaurs... congratulation for this specimen fitch. http://bsgf.geoscienceworld.org/content/183/1/7.abstract 1 The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Plai Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Hope this doesn't count as a topic hi-jack since it's about a Mosasaur tooth ID which I am conflicted between Prognathodon, Beaugei or Platecarpus but isn't sure or knowledgeable enough to decide conclusively, here is what it looks like: I actually started another thread in this link regarding the questioning of the ID of this tooth, here is the link in case it's more appropriate to discuss there, though I figured the Mosasaur experts will probably be in this thread: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/51849-mosasaur-tooth-beaugei-or-platecarpus/ Anyway, any input and insight from the mosasaur experts here will be appreciated. Thx in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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