RJB Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 I posted this photo along with some other Morrocan stuff on facebook, but this one created quite a buzz. When I bought this I thought it was real. After so much debate about it I went out to my garage, put the specimen on my prep bench, put on my opti-visor and took a real good close up look. Then I realized the roots did not look right at all. What do you guys think? Next time I go shopping for fossils I think I will be taking my opti-visor with me. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Claw Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Would have fooled me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Looks real from this end. Can take a close up of the roots so we can have a better look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowpoker Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Wow! That definitely would have perplexed me, to the point where I would have bought it myself! Shows how crafty Moroccan traders are getting in order to make a quick buck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) Looks real to me too. Would love to see more closeups. I would say though.. That if anything, the uniform-ish dip around the jaw is the one thing that looks a bit weird. That could be an artefact of placing pieces into the matrix or just an artefact of weird prepping. Edited February 2, 2016 by LordTrilobite Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snolly50 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Have you taken a needle to one of the roots? Are you thinking they are "manufactured? Sure can't tell from the photo, but it looks pretty good to me. Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 next time I go fossil shopping I am bringing a CT scanner with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolman1c Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) Darn curse of the Moroccan fossils! The Matrix kinda looks kinda right but semi wrong from the pictures but I can't seem to tell... Are there lots of other fossils flung around at different levels? Check out the post a made a while back and see what people say about other fakes and real fossils from Morocco. Edited February 2, 2016 by lolman1c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 JPC is a funny guy. Id like to see a CT scanner being dragged around! Ha!! The so called roots on this thing does not look like bone at all. I have some real ones where you can see the roots really do look like bone and also the tip of an erupting tooth on two other specimens I have. I also took a pointed chainsaw file and lightly scraped the 'root' material and is very very soft. Just seems and looks fake for these roots? All in all though, its still an awesome specimen. Someone did a really good job. I hear that the bone material is starting to not be allowed out of the country? Not sure if that's true or not? But I think someday I will sell this and get my moneys out of it? RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Andy- Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 It still looks real to me. But maybe that's the limitations of a photo seen through internet. Looking forward to meeting my fellow Singaporean collectors! Do PM me if you are a Singaporean, or an overseas fossil-collector coming here for a holiday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Still would like to see closeup pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) I think it's a real jaw and real teeth, but I don't think they were found together. I think the teeth were added, therefore the roots are probably fake or glued together. Edited February 3, 2016 by fossilized6s ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 Hey Troodon. That one close up of the jaw is the best closeup I can do. If I get any closer it would be blury. Cheap camera I have. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 Hey Snolly50, I haven't put a needle to it. Im assuming you mean a hot needle? I don't belive the 'roots' to be made of plastic but of some kind of plaster or spackle. Just guessing though. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowpoker Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 The roots are plastered but teeth and jaw real, I've had the same thing with an Anceps jaw I had that had globidens teeth. I knew of the trickery, but imagine my surprise when I found a baby Anceps tooth below the gum line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snolly50 Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Hey Snolly50, I haven't put a needle to it. Im assuming you mean a hot needle? I don't belive the 'roots' to be made of plastic but of some kind of plaster or spackle. Just guessing though. RB I meant just "cutting into"/scraping the suspicious root with a carbide needle. The fake root I have encountered was made of stained plaster and was very obviously not bone when scraped. I do see in your post above where you took a file to it, so that is really what I was getting at. Your report that it is very soft is obviously not a good recommendation for authenticity. This has been an excellent series of posts, as it highlights a piece that looks great (I still like it); but is apparently not all it appears to be. Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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