Bahariasaurus Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Hey guys, I'm interested in this "unknown theropod vertebra" from Morocco, I'm guessing Kem Kem, and it looks like a lower tail specimen - but have no clue what species it's from. Any ideas? Thanks, Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Hi welcome to the forum. Your vertebra, like you say, is from the tail (caudal) one closer to the hip than the end. Unfortunately that is about all that I can tell you about it. Forum members are accustomed to hearing that material from this region is very poorly understood and little is published that would help collectors. Skeletal remains when found are rarely articulated which makes identifying and studying them difficult. So trying to identify isolated vertebra, like yours extremely difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Welcome to the Forum, glad you joined us. Nice fossil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sseth Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Welcome to the forum. Very nice vertebrae. It does look like it could be from Kem Kem but without any collection information that is hard to say. As Troodon indicated, it does appear to be a caudal vertebrae and appears to be dinosaur. Nice fossil. Thanks for sharing. _____________________________________ Seth www.fossilshack.com www.americanfossil.com www.fishdig.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahariasaurus Posted September 3, 2015 Author Share Posted September 3, 2015 Thanks for the greetings everyone! I actually tried to make a new account and it told me my email address was already in use - turns out I joined this forum back in 2008 when I was 13... but I've recently began volunteer work at the Natural History Museum in London which has resparked my interest for fossils and so I have begun buying a few bones and teeth. Does anyone have any good websites they'd recommend? As for the vertebra, I appreciate the replies, the seller says it's probably spinosaurus but I don't know. Might give it a miss for £50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Great to have you back. For what you paid for it was a great purchase. Everything being sold out of the Kem Kem is either Spino, Deltadromeus or Carcharodontosaurus it's a pure guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runner64 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Like others have said, Kem Kem bed material is not well known. Spinosaurus is not well known also. Most dealers label bones from spino as a marketing gig. It's a nice vertebra, enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahariasaurus Posted September 3, 2015 Author Share Posted September 3, 2015 Fair points one and all. Troodon, if this vertebra is closer to the hip than the end, and it looks adult as the processes are fused, wouldn't it be a little small for spinosaurus or carcharodontosaurus? Would it not be more likely a Deltadromeus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Fair points one and all. Troodon, if this vertebra is closer to the hip than the end, and it looks adult as the processes are fused, wouldn't it be a little small for spinosaurus or carcharodontosaurus? Would it not be more likely a Deltadromeus? Every observation of the physical evidence is important, but there has been so little work done on sorting out the theropods from Africa that it is not possible to assign most isolated bones to a genus with any confidence. "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...
Bahariasaurus Posted September 3, 2015 Author Share Posted September 3, 2015 there has been so little work done on sorting out the theropods from Africa that it is not possible to assign most isolated bones to a genus with any confidence. Looks like I've found my career niche! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Welcome! I personally recommend BigFossil.com. They are on FB as Down to Earth Fossils. Pete is right there in the UK and has great prices. I have mainly purchased coprolites from him, but he is reputable and has really fair prices. I look forward to seeing what you learn about Kem Kem fossils in the future! Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Fair points one and all. Troodon, if this vertebra is closer to the hip than the end, and it looks adult as the processes are fused, wouldn't it be a little small for spinosaurus or carcharodontosaurus? Would it not be more likely a Deltadromeus?The paper that re-described Spinosaurus showed one complete mid caudal vertebra and it looked nothing like yours. The skeletal remains that described Deltadromeus only had one complete distal caudal vertebra and it was so far back that no comparison can be made. They also had three closer to the hip but only partials of the processes so that they could not be used for comparisons purposes. So there is very little comparative material out there. Let me also add that there are more theropods in the Kem Kem than those you've mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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