Dinosaur Claw, Cretaceous, Taouz / Marocco

[araucaria1959]

Hello,

this is a small dinosaur claw (length about 18 mm; scale = mm).

All I know is that it's from Taouz, so I suppose it is from the Kem Kem Beds.

A currently published faunal list of the Kem Kem Beds encompasses the following theropod taxa:

Spinosaurus cf. aegypticus, Carcharodontosaurus saharicus, cf. Majungasaurus, Deltadromaeus agilis, Dromaeosauridae indet.

Is it possible to ID the specimen?

Thanks

araucaria1959

claw - 1.bmp

[araucaria1959]

A second picture of the same claw:

claw-2.bmp

[Regg Cato]

Seems to fall within normal range of variation for Spinosaurus, though it's not complete and missing the proximal end.

[Troodon]

There is very little published information on theropod material from Morocco to help ID claws. Without the proximal end of the claw it would be a guess.

[Regg Cato]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GoRQaEjkux4/UNsCoQ1wmxI/AAAAAAAAC1w/ME7HkVFQv60/s1600/5590128002_a7d757972f.jpg

Slightly less recurved than in Baryonyx, but compares favorably; also compares favorably with purported Spinosaurus claws, which are morphologically similar to Baryonyx.

http://images2.bonhams.com/image?src=Images/live/2010-10/29/8200234-4-1.jpg&tmp=web300&top=0.000000&left=0.000000&right=1.000000&bottom=1.000000&dt=zoom_image

[Mike from North Queensland]

Not meaning to put a damper on things but the texture does not look like bone.

Also note that I no nothing about what fossils from Kem Kem look like.

Mike

[Troodon]

I can say that with the Kem Kem claws I have in my collection it looks okay. Again, I would caution against trying to put an ID without a complete claw and it being so small. I do not think its Spino since I own both a adult and and juvenile specimen. You are looking at some small probably unidescribed theropod.

[araucaria1959]

Thank you very much. I was surprised (and shocked) indeed when I saw my pictures enlarged because that was the first time I realized the unusual coarse-grained texture so that I considered the possibility that this could be a fake. That's the reason why I didn't downsize the pics, so that this texture remained visible.

So I'm glad that Troodon says it looks okay, even if ID is impossible.

araucaria1959

[Mike from North Queensland]

Good to hear its normal for the region as the coarse grain is something I have not seen in fossils before. We are all learning.

Mike

Edited May 11, 2013 by Mike from North Queensland