Comments on Dino Items in Auction

[Troodon]

Proper identification of Dinosaur Material with European auctions is typical of what you find in Domestic one.   Here are comments on a few items being offered since a number of our members are attracted by their offerings.

 

Here is a  beautiful rooted Tyrannosaur tooth being offered.   The description suggest it might be a Tyrannosaurus rex but states it there is no label.  The preservation  looks like a Tarbosaurus from Mongolia, not T rex.   The other observation  I would make is that there appears to be significant restoration to the lower half of the root which is not stated.

 

 

A number of T rex teeth being offered appear to look more like Nanotyrannus not T rex.  Use caution on all teeth.  All of the teeth offered as Albertosaurus should be labeled has Tyrannosaurid indet.

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A Triceratops horridus ungual being offered looks more like the hadrosaur Edmontosaurus.  Numerous lots of items being offered are Triceratops horridus should be better identified has either Triceratops sp. or Ceratopsian indet.  

 

Quite a bit Moroccan Kem Kem material being offered, caution with all of it.  

 

The larger teeth are accurate but smaller Abelisaurid teeth are misidentified has Deltadromeus or Rugops.

 

This Deltadromeus raptor claw may not even be Dinosaurian difficult to make that call.

 

 

Isolated toe bones are hard to ID to a species especially .  This one may be has listed Spinosaurus but a better call would be Theropod indet.

 

Just exercise caution and if there are items you are interested in feel free to post them here for our input.

[Troodon]

Forgot this one.  Offering a Spinosaurus jaw section with one of the original teeth.

My comment on this is that I'm not sure it's a Spino jaw, probably Croc and that tooth is not original to the jaw either way.

 

[LordTrilobite]

49 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Isolated toe bones are hard to ID to a species especially .  This one may be has listed Spinosaurus but a better call would be Theropod indet.

 

Just exercise caution and if there are items you are interested in feel free to post them here for our input.

 

It may be possible to put a family name on it. The Spinosaurus neotype has toes on it. While it might not be specifically Spinosaurus. If it matches it could be labeled as Spinosauridae. Aparently its toes were very wide compared to other Theropods.

Of course I'm not sure if the Spinosaur identification is correct in this case. Caution is indeed advised.

 

 

 

38 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Forgot this one.  Offering a Spinosaurus jaw section with one of the original teeth.

My comment on this is that I'm not sure it's a Spino jaw, probably Croc and that tooth is not original to the jaw either way.

 

 

So far as I know that raised edge on the one side is specific to Spinosaurids. The tooth might not belong to it. But I do think the Spinosaur ident is correct.

 

[Troodon]

I believe Spino jaws have a big  ridge the dorsal surface which this is lacking

 

Edited October 20, 2016 by Troodon
Added photos

[HamptonsDoc]

33 minutes ago, Troodon said:

I believe Spino jaws have a big  ridge the dorsal surface which this is lacking

 

 

[LordTrilobite]

True the ridge isn't as large or pronounced as in the pictures you provided. But the ridge is present.

 

I looked at some of the croc jaws. And some do have a similar ridge. But it only seems present around the middle of the dentary and is generally fairly subtle. The first pictures of the jaw you provided looks like it could be somewhere inbetween. It's not a very large ridge. But it's still fairly pronounced. I wouldn't completely rule out Spinosaur.

 

I could still be wrong of course.

[Ridgehiker]

That tooth was placed in that jaw.  Not even a close match.

 

When one sees a dealer selling such a bogus specimen, the red flag should go up. How can anything they sell possibly have legitimacy?  They are either completely ignorant or deceitful.  Unfortunately someone will buy the material and pollute their fossil collection with it. 

 

'But it was a reputable dealer'.    Shudder.

[Troodon]

1 hour ago, LordTrilobite said:

True the ridge isn't as large or pronounced as in the pictures you provided. But the ridge is present.

 

I looked at some of the croc jaws. And some do have a similar ridge. But it only seems present around the middle of the dentary and is generally fairly subtle. The first pictures of the jaw you provided looks like it could be somewhere inbetween. It's not a very large ridge. But it's still fairly pronounced. I wouldn't completely rule out Spinosaur.

 

I could still be wrong of course.

 

Agreed and it's the kind of item you would want to hold, have a close look, to verify a good ID.  They have a 6-8k estimated sale price on it so you better be sure what your buying.    You dont want to buy and later find out oops 

 

1 hour ago, Canadawest said:

That tooth was placed in that jaw.  Not even a close match.

 

When one sees a dealer selling such a bogus specimen, the red flag should go up. How can anything they sell possibly have legitimacy?  They are either completely ignorant or deceitful.  Unfortunately someone will buy the material and pollute their fossil collection with it. 

 

'But it was a reputable dealer'.    Shudder.

 

My money says that the individual/dealer who has it up for sale bought it under the description he's selling it has and is just flipping it to turn some fast bucks.   

 

 

 

[Troodon]

There are some nice items being offered including eggs @HamptonsDoc

 

Look very real in orginal matrix.  Should be prepped a bit further.

 

 

Nice Diplodocus tooth being offered but I would stop short of identifying it to a species level and call it Diplodocid indet.  A number of Diplodocus species have been described from the Morrison.

 

Absolutely beautiful sauropod caudal vertebra.  I'm not a sauropod expert but looks more like a Diplodocid vertebra than Camarasaurus but needs to explored further if your interested.

[Ash]

@troodon are the 2 spino jaws you pictured the same one? Just the 2nd pic has teeth added? How many spino jaws are kickin' around anyways? I can't imagine theyre very common

[Troodon]

4 hours ago, Ash said:

@troodon are the 2 spino jaws you pictured the same one? Just the 2nd pic has teeth added? How many spino jaws are kickin' around anyways? I can't imagine theyre very common

 

There are two shown, the top one with all of the massive teeth belongs to member Fossilgrove and has had the teeth added.   The other one with the in-Situ unerupted teeth is mine.   Most of the jaws you see sold on the commercial market have teeth added to make them more appealing.  Jaw sections are out there,  you do see them at shows like Tucson with higher end dealers and sometimes at Moroccan tent dealers.   If you want one the 2017 Tucson show will probably have several.        The better more complete ones are of course harder to find.  Heck with all of teeth you see sold they had to come from someplace 

 

Fake jaw fragments, mostly croc, with Spino teeth inserted are very common with Moroccan tents dealers.   

 

Not a nice one but a big Spino jaw section being sold with inserted teeth at 2016 Tucson show.  

 

Same dealer and show, partial on top and very nice one with complete front, on bottom.  You can see how wide and flat these jaws are so when compared to fake rounded croc jaws they can stand out quite well.

 

[HamptonsDoc]

2 hours ago, Troodon said:

If you want one the 2017 Tucson show will probably have several.        The better more complete ones are of course harder to find.

 

 

Funny you bring up Tucson, I was just thinking last night that I would like to find a nice Spino jaw section with original teeth this year!

 

Why do Spino jaws have the line of dimples/pores under the teeth like Mosasaurs?  I thought those were somehow used for sonar in aquatic animals?  I know it was thought that they spent some time in water/semi-aquatic environments hunting but I'm surprised to see these here in a mainly terrestrial animal.

 

Thanks for the egg shoutout by the way! @Troodon 

2 hours ago, Troodon said:

 

 

[Troodon]

I dont think I've seen a Spino jaw for sale with its natural erupted teeth on the open market,  will ask @Fossilgrove   Jaws are typically found without teeth, very few exceptions.   When one one these critters dies there is nothing to hold hold the teeth in the jaw and in a semi-aquatic environment those jaws move around, why we don't find articulated animals.  I think those holes are muscle attachment points (see revision below).  At Tucson stop by Moussa's but most of his jaws have teeth placed in them.

 

 

[doushantuo]

those holes might be foramina..

[Troodon]

Correct.

[Scylla]

Those foramina are on a lot of jaws. They are where nerves or blood vessels exit or enter the bone.