Red Flag on Thescelosaurus Skull for Sale

[Troodon]

The Claim:

Real Dinosaur Skull Tooth Fossil

For sale is a real Partial and rare dinosaur skull from Thescelosaurus sp. Found in the Hell Creek of Montna this skull was collected over a few seasons but the rest was washed away. The skull was partially reconstructed with about 20% on the top and 50% on the lower jaw. There are real teeth added to the skull and all bone is from the original skull. Because so much is missing it is not entirely anatomically correct but it is 70% real skull and all real teeth from a dinosaur that has left only few results in the fossil record.

I've highlighted the areas that appear to be reconstructed.

Claim 20% Top, 50% Lower

Observations:

The Skull is only HALF of a complete one

Restoration appears to be greater than claimed

Teeth placed in lower jaw are Premaxillary teeth not Dentary teeth

Skull looks nothing like a real one a terrible reconstruction

My opinion, save your money it's a piece of junk...

[LordTrilobite]

Yeah I saw this piece as well. It looks absolutly terrible. Almost like a weird mix between a horse and a Ankylosaur than anything else.

[sseth]

That is pretty bad.

[-Andy-]

Interesting. I know whom he flipped that from. When I tried looking for pics of the old listing(without restoration) though, they were taken down. I can't even find it on my browser history.

[Troodon]

Andy can you PM me who you think it was from.

[Susan from PA]

Wow! That looks terrible! I didn't see either listing. Would be interesting to see what the original specimen looked like before being so poorly restored.

[Troodon]

The skull may be pretty obvious for those that have been around dinosaur fossils however for someone inexperienced the price may be very attractive not to pass up. Hopefully this will help newbies make the right decision.

[PFOOLEY]

A very rare Skeksis skull!

[Troodon]

A very rare Skeksis skull!

Left out "new species "

[StevenJD]

A very rare Skeksis skull!

that's funny!

[tmaier]

This is a good example of why paleontologists are hesitant to use fossils from the marketplace for study.

[Troodon]

This is a good example of why paleontologists are hesitant to use fossils from the marketplace for study.

I know quite a few paleontologists that attend the Tucson show and some actively purchase specimens for study. For example you see Mark Norell curator of the AMNH there every year, checking out dealers and David Evans curator of the ROM doing likewise. These people know what a piece of junk this skull is. They are not buying off of online shops but actively pursue diggers.

Edited August 24, 2016 by Troodon

[tmaier]

Ok, but some fakes are finding their way into museums and in the hands of professional paleontologists. And that must be a real bummer when they find out they blew their budget on something that has been cobbled up or totally fabricated.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-fake-fossils-pervert-paleontology-excerpt/

Ouch! It's hard to ask for a do-over after a fiasco like that.

[Troodon]

The incidents I'm aware of like those published in that report involved a couple of incidents around Chinese fossils. That is the real exception to the rule and should not be construed as the norm and that paleontologists are reluctant to purchase fossils because of it. Just the opposite is true.

[tmaier]

I'm sure the FIRST thing they study about a fossil is whether or not it has been doctored, right?

[Troodon]

A number of fossils purchased by paleontologists from North American diggers at shows are in the unprepped state. Some still in plaster field jackets like this skull at the Tucson show.

Anyone purchasing completed prepped fossils including myself always examine a specimen to see what work has been done. It's part of the due diligence process when you purchase a fossil. Dealers are very open in telling a buyer what as been done to it they know their reputation is on the line and they want repeat business.

[LordTrilobite]

Now that is a sexy Hypacrosaurus skull.

[Troodon]

Yes it's beautiful but it's actually a Corythosaurus from the Judith River on Montana. ID by the same person who edited the book Hadrosaurs

[zekky]

Would love to see a close up of those teeth, amazing skull. (I've noticed some variances in Judith River hadrosaur teeth)

[Troodon]

There are differences with hadrosaurid teeth. This illustration comes from J. Horner's paper in the book Dinosaur Systematics. You can see the variations in crowns of dentary teeth.

[LordTrilobite]

Yes it's beautiful but it's actually a Corythosaurus from the Judith River on Montana. ID by the same person who edited the book Hadrosaurs

Ah I see now, it does resemble Corythosaurus intermedius quite a bit. The short crest threw me off as C. casuarius has a much larger crest.

Also, the Thescelosaurus skull has dropped in price. But still a rediculous price for such a horrifficly ugly piece.

[Troodon]

Ha ha, I wouldn't take that skull if they gave it away. No thinking about it, I might, the teeth can be resurrected from that horrible dentary and given a new life.

[-Andy-]

Ah I see now, it does resemble Corythosaurus intermedius quite a bit. The short crest threw me off as C. casuarius has a much larger crest.

Also, the Thescelosaurus skull has dropped in price. But still a rediculous price for such a horrifficly ugly piece.

The saddest thing is that it looked way better before the restoration. I was tempted to get it when the original seller had it.

[Troodon]

One could have purchased a good replica skull and a good preparer could have inserted the real elements into it. Sad way to destroy rare skull material.