Fossils I Got From Various Chinese Mineral Shops, Egg, Giant Ammonite Mortality, Fish, Crinoid, Oh My!

[-Andy-]

Hi all.

So I went to a district with many Chinese mineral and antique shops, and was immensely surprised to find the diversity of fossils some of them had. In fact, many didn't even know what they had were fossils!

Let me start with what I assume to be a Hadrosaur egg.

This here was used as a paperweight in the shop. I shall be prepping it soon, any suggestions? Also, is it truly a hadrosaur egg?

I am hoping that despite the appearance of the back of this fossil, it is an unhatched egg. I will find a way to clear the matrix here. There still exists what I believe to be eggshell coverage.

Edited June 15, 2014 by -Andy-

[-Andy-]

Is this a Traumatocrinus hsuixi?

Maybe a Cleoniceras? This is 4cm across.

This fish most likely comes from Liaoning. The shop-owner had no info on it. The fish's body measures 6cm.

Edited June 15, 2014 by -Andy-

[-Andy-]

A gigantic ammonite mortality plate.

It has what I take to be goniatites, worm burrows, coprolites, baculites with potential soft tissue preservation, and other things I cannot recognize.

Can anyone give any sort of info on this?

[-Andy-]

Backview of the gigantic mortality plate.

[Carl]

I can say that the crinoid plate is almost certainly a frankenstein. It looks like it was assembled from loose pieces of crinoids. The heads might even be completely sculpted. More art than nature there.

[Auspex]

These shops must be fascinating to nose around in! Will they let you take pictures?

[-Andy-]

I can say that the crinoid plate is almost certainly a frankenstein. It looks like it was assembled from loose pieces of crinoids. The heads might even be completely sculpted. More art than nature there.

My pics do not do it justice, but that crinoid plate is almost certainly a real crinoid transplanted onto a false matrix.

But I agree, its more art than nature. I love it still. It's so beautiful.

These shops must be fascinating to nose around in! Will they let you take pictures?

They are! You never know what you might find. Here's some pics.

Ambers

Giant crinoid plate, similar to the one I have, but much bigger.

A nest of Oviraptor eggs, somewhat dubious

A fake Globidens skull with real teeth

A large partially restored fish

This is merely 1/3 of an extremely large egg that reminds me of Tarbosaurus eggs. That's a 5.5" Samsung phone to scale. The 3 parts of the egg together is larger than a child.

A huge Ichthyosaur that's 1.5m long

A cluster of Keichousauruses, I am assuming most are at least partially restored.

[Auspex]

Thanks for the 'site pics'! I could spend a lot of time (and money) in places like that.

[-Andy-]

I can say that the crinoid plate is almost certainly a frankenstein. It looks like it was assembled from loose pieces of crinoids. The heads might even be completely sculpted. More art than nature there.

Looking at it again, I retract my previous statement.

My crinoid could indeed be a frankenstein, but I feel that the heads are actual crinoids, and not sculpted.

Thanks for the 'site pics'! I could spend a lot of time (and money) in places like that.

Haha I have the same weaknesses too!

It's a pity Singapore has no actual fossil sites, but at least we get many antique and mineral shop-owners from China who brought in stuff from decades ago.

[AndreaN]

I have a thing for mortality plates... love that one! Thanks for sharing!