Is This Real Dinosaur Skin?

[-Andy-]

I am interested in getting a piece of mummified Edmontosaurus skin impression from South Dakota.

Could anyone tell if this is real?

Edited December 19, 2014 by -Andy-

[jpc]

It looks like it certainly could be. While that is not very definitive of an answer, it is no. Any chance to see the side of the rock?

edit: I just looked at the pattern close up and it looks like real hadrosaur skin texture. The stuff between the skin impressions is a bit weird.

Edited December 18, 2014 by jpc

[-Andy-]

It looks like it certainly could be. While that is not very definitive of an answer, it is no. Any chance to see the side of the rock?

edit: I just looked at the pattern close up and it looks like real hadrosaur skin texture. The stuff between the skin impressions is a bit weird.

This guy sells a huge amount of such skins, though usually in smaller fragments. He claims it comes from his personal digsite.

[Troodon]

I think you have to distinguish between skin impression and mummified skin, two very different items. Most of the specimens that I see being sold are skin impressions. The dealer selling these items on eBay implies its real skin but calls it skin impression in his description and nowhere refers to them as mummified. I cannot tell if its real impression or not only to say that type of fossils are extremely rare and I have seen them faked.

[Carl]

I'm not convinced. And not having it in context makes it suspicious. It may be what is informally called "elephant skin" which is a type of microbial mat. But guess which sells better: Fossil dinosaur skin or fossil microbial mat?

[Auspex]

I have a question for those who know: If this is an impression, wouldn't it be a negative? Looks like a positive to my uneducated eyes...

[Troodon]

This guy sells a huge amount of such skins, though usually in smaller fragments. He claims it comes from his personal digsite.

Missed this when I first read it. Dinosaur skin impressions are extremely rare and to have your own dig site where he finds lots of material is very suspicious to me. I've been collecting at a hadrosaur bonebed in South Dakota for almost 20 years and the amount of skin impressions weve found I can count in my hand.

[Troodon]

I have a question for those who know: If this is an impression, wouldn't it be a negative? Looks like a positive to my uneducated eyes...

Well it depends if you are looking at a positive or a negative just like a foot impression or its a fake. The mummified specimens I have in my collection are negatives.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Troodon

[jpc]

Yes, mummified and impression are totally different. Impression is rare, mummified is almost unheard of super rare. The texture on this specimen seems hadrosaurian, but like I said the in between parts do not seem Hell Creek-ish. And the color is weird. If he sells a lot of pieces... I hope he is not hacking up a nice 'mummy' to make a lot of money on bits of skin. As someone else mentioned, I think, it could be a cast. auspex... many times when you have skin impressions, there is a positive and a negative.

[JohnJ]

On the whole, purchasing something like this is a gamble with a huge negative potential. The ease with which this could be faked, or reproduced from a cast, seems apparent...especially when purchasing from photographs.

I am not saying that this example is not as advertised; just pointing out that a purchase of something like this is very risky.

[izak_]

Cut it open lol… What does it weigh?

[-Andy-]

I am wondering if a new hadrosaur "mummy", or at least, skin-impression site has been found.

He's got no shortage of these. And it's not just him, at least one other fossil site I know has been selling a fair bit of dinosaur skin-impression lately.

Here are the other pieces this seller is offering/sold.

[JustPlainPetrified]

I am absolutely not an expert but the 'skin' images in the bottom photo and A5 skin do not appear to be uniform. One would expect skin to have similar size and shape...that would just be a basic growth pattern, No?

[Auspex]

I am absolutely not an expert but the 'skin' images in the bottom photo and A5 skin do not appear to be uniform. One would expect skin to have similar size and shape...that would just be a basic growth pattern, No?

Skin is a very complicated organ, and differs with where it is on the body.

[Troodon]

Auspex put it correctly Dinosaur skin differs in shape with where it is in the body. Pretty cool adaptation.

Andy to address your question about a new skin impression site. Typically skin/skin impressions are associated with a skeletal find. You just do not find a locality with impressions. Part of the skeleton removal process would be to include as much of the skin/impressions in the jacket with the bone being extracted. This is not only done for scientific purposes but if its a commercial venture it would significantly increase the value of the specimen. What you can then have is residual impressions/skin after the bone is removed and this is what finds it way to the market place. Its a rare occurrence first to find a skeleton and to find one with skin impressions extremely rare. I'm always suspicious when rare items make their way to the marketplace in quantity. This is not to say that what is being sold is fake it may be the real deal and the seller has found a pot of gold. I would ask the seller about his dig site, is it a bonebed or single animal. See if he can tell more about what he has found.

[jpc]

These four new photos are the real thing. I will bet my reputation all of Old Dead Things money on it. I have seen quite a bit of dino skin. Most folks think skin impressions are found only on articulated specimens, but no, disarticulated hadrosaurs can also have random skin impressions.

troodon's comments reflect what I said earlier.. I hope this guy is not ruining a nice mummified specimen to sell little bits and pieces of skin.

I just checked ebay, and yes, he is getting these form a nice articulated skeleton. : (

Edited December 19, 2014 by jpc

[Carl]

I agree that at least the last 3 of the new photos look a lot like skin. The first one, not so much. And the original post gets my skepticism gland working.