Let's see your latest mailbox score - 2017!!

[Nimravis]

ENCHODUS Fang Tooth + CRETOLAMNA Shark Tooth

Scientific name: Enchodus lybicus + Cretolamna appendiculata.

Origin: Oued Zem,  Morocco

Age: Upper Cretaceous, Maastrichtian stage, (~66 Million Years)

 

 

[Max-fossils]

1 hour ago, Fossil-Hound said:

@Max-fossils you don’t like my tooth? Look up.

Must have missed that one, sorry... And the colors on that one are indeed pristine! 

 

@Nimravis Wow Ralph, those are some great Khouribga fossils!!! 

[LiamL]

Lovely polished ammonite gift from @brandonfossils on instagram, it's from Dorset i think

[LordTrilobite]

Those are some really nice Mosasaur pieces @Nimravis.

 

 

I also got myself some more early christmas presents.

 

First a nice little Mosasaur premaxilla from Khouribga, Morocco. It had both the name Prognathodon as well as Platecarpus names on it. So I will have to do some research to give it a better ID. Though the two teeth that were still attached to the bone have sadly been broken off, I found out that a third erupting tooth is still present mostly hidden in the matrix. So I'm hoping this will give some clues as to what genus it could be. This one will be fun to prep.

 

 

And then there's this piece from the Campanian of the Kem Kem beds. That quite frankly takes the cake of all my acquisitions this year. It already looked very interesting when I bought it. But after some careful research. I'm pretty sure that this is a partial Spinosaurid braincase.

 

It's quite clear it's the back of a braincase. Especially the lower half is very odd. The ridge on the back of the supreoccipital is tipical of Saurischian dinosaurs. So I started comparing it with a bunch of Theropods. It doesn't fit at all with Theropods like Abelisaurids and Allosauroids. What it does show strong resemblance with though, are the Spinosaurids. There are some Spinosaurus skull examples it compares really well to. But considering the Kem Kem beds are still very mysterious that might not be the most reliable source. So I compared it to the braincases of Irritator and Baryonyx, two definite Spinosaurids with some great braincase examples. And the resemblance is pretty striking. There's some subtle differences, but overall the proportions and details are very similar.

The back has some very nice preservation. Though sadly it has some minimal prep damage and repair. Will be an interesting process to remove all the sediment with lots of clay and glue.

 

Back half of a Spinosaur braincase in posterior, lateral and anterior view.

 

 

For reference:

 

Spinosaurus (composite?) skull with braincase visible in the back view.

 

Brazillian Spinosaurid Irritator skull with braincase in back and side view visible.

 

English Spinosaurid Baryonyx braincase in back view.

[Miocene_Mason]

13 minutes ago, LordTrilobite said:

partial Spinosaurid braincase.

Holy cheese and crackers! That’s an amazing acquisition!

[Troodon]

59 minutes ago, LordTrilobite said:

Those are some really nice Mosasaur pieces @Nimravis.

 

 

I also got myself some more early christmas presents.

 

First a nice little Mosasaur premaxilla from Khouribga, Morocco. It had both the name Prognathodon as well as Platecarpus names on it. So I will have to do some research to give it a better ID. Though the two teeth that were still attached to the bone have sadly been broken off, I found out that a third erupting tooth is still present mostly hidden in the matrix. So I'm hoping this will give some clues as to what genus it could be. This one will be fun to prep.

 

 

And then there's this piece from the Campanian of the Kem Kem beds. That quite frankly takes the cake of all my acquisitions this year. It already looked very interesting when I bought it. But after some careful research. I'm pretty sure that this is a partial Spinosaurid braincase.

 

It's quite clear it's the back of a braincase. Especially the lower half is very odd. The ridge on the back of the supreoccipital is tipical of Saurischian dinosaurs. So I started comparing it with a bunch of Theropods. It doesn't fit at all with Theropods like Abelisaurids and Allosauroids. What it does show strong resemblance with though, are the Spinosaurids. There are some Spinosaurus skull examples it compares really well to. But considering the Kem Kem beds are still very mysterious that might not be the most reliable source. So I compared it to the braincases of Irritator and Baryonyx, two definite Spinosaurids with some great braincase examples. And the resemblance is pretty striking. There's some subtle differences, but overall the proportions and details are very similar.

The back has some very nice preservation. Though sadly it has some minimal prep damage and repair. Will be an interesting process to remove all the sediment with lots of clay and glue.

 

Back half of a Spinosaur braincase in posterior, lateral and anterior view.

 

 

For reference:

 

Spinosaurus (composite?) skull with braincase visible in the back view.

 

 

Brazillian Spinosaurid Irritator skull with braincase in back and side view visible.

 

 

English Spinosaurid Baryonyx braincase in back view.

 

Nice pick up, great size.  I think you are spot on with your ID.  You just do not see that shape and Spino's seem to be a good match.  You are definitely making progress on your skull at least the back end.  You need some nasal element's next.

[LordTrilobite]

1 hour ago, WhodamanHD said:

Holy cheese and crackers! That’s an amazing acquisition!

Yes, yes it is. thanks

28 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Nice pick up, great size.  I think you are spot on with your ID.  You just do not see that shape and Spino's seem to be a good match.  You are definitely making progress on your skull at least the back end.  You need some nasal element's next.

Hah, we'll see about that. I think Spinosaur jaws are a little outside my budget though. I will definitely be scanning this with photogrammetry though, and then I will do some digital 3D reconstructing for both this piece as well as my quadrate pieces.

[Nimravis]

@LordTrilobite some great acquisitions- congrats.

[Max-fossils]

@LiamL nice ammonite. Brandon indeed has some great posts, I love seeing them. Seems like a very nice guy!

 

@LordTrilobite wow! That is such an awesome fossil!!!

[siteseer]

On 12/22/2017 at 11:43 AM, Nimravis said:

Very nice

 

Hi 

On 12/22/2017 at 9:53 AM, Haravex said:

Keeping with the shark theme this arrived a few hours ago a beautiful 3 inch Peruvian megladon along with a few other goodies thanks from @siteseer 

 

Just looked the photo does not do the colour of this tooth justice.

 

Hi Haravex,

 

Wow, you already got the box.  I mailed it Monday and you got Friday (California to the UK) and the week before Christmas on top of it.  I'm glad you're happy with the deal.  Please let me say for the benefit of the other members out there that you went out of your way to find the most convenient payment method for both of us even if it cost you a few more bucks than expected.  

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Jess

 

 

 

 

 

[Haravex]

Thanks jess.

 

@LordTrilobite amazing find I would like to know where you got it from if you don' mind, it has the same characteristics as the ribs I have even down to the glue. Speaking of which I might suggest now in hind sight soaking in consolidation of paraloid72 before you begin prepping.

[LordTrilobite]

@Haravex

Well I got it from our favourite auction site. And contrary to most Kem Kem fossils that are bought on the internet I do actually have some good provenance information for it. It's from the Ifezouane formation and it comes from near Ouzina in South Morocco.

 

I'm not gonna soak it in even more glue as there is already way too much glue on it. And I'll locally stabilise it where needed with cyanoacrylate. If anything I need to dissolve some of the glue that's already there.

[Miocene_Mason]

Also forgot to say, nice plum point meg @Fossil-Hound. I’ve never hunted there but it has an almost legendary reputation among all who I’ve talked to.

[Haravex]

The thing is using that method will stabilise the internal structure which is fragile and will soften the hard glue on the outside.

[caldigger]

Well yesterday can be considered a fossil filled day. I hadn't recieved any mail for many days ( very unusual or this time of year) and all if a sudden my mailbox had three fossil packages within. Oh Boy!!!

First off I did get my Secret Santa package from Australia ( see thread).  Then I got a thank you gift from our cousins across the pond. A beautiful mount of two Jurassic Ludwigia murchisonae from the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

 

Thank you Rob!!! Picture doesn't do these beauties justice.

 

Then I got an impromptu Santa's Helper box of Oligocene goodies from a very generous member in Illinois (Ralph). A box with an Oreodont femur, a container of vertebrate micros (anthill spoils?), and an absolutely awesome Rhinoceros jaw segment. I know it is not the same species, but it looked good displayed in front of a free hand drawing done by our very talented artist member Lauren ( Charizard ).

 

I feel like I won the Superbowl , World Cup and took the gold in the Olympics all in the same day. Whoo hoo!

[Fossil-Hound]

1 hour ago, WhodamanHD said:

Also forgot to say, nice plum point meg @Fossil-Hound. I’ve never hunted there but it has an almost legendary reputation among all who I’ve talked to.

 Thanks! Yeah I bought from a native to North Beach. I have really fond memories of the area. Maybe someday when I retire my wife and I will move there. We both love it. You need to get a kayak or jet ski to get to those good spots out there! The one thing I regret not doing out there is kayaking.

[Nimravis]

37 minutes ago, caldigger said:

Then I got an impromptu Santa's Helper box of Oligocene goodies from a very generous member in Illinois (Ralph). A box with an Oreodont femur, a container of vertebrate micros (anthill spoils?), and an absolutely awesome Rhinoceros jaw segment. I know it is not the same species, but it looked good displayed in front of a free hand drawing done by our very talented artist member Lauren ( Charizard ).

I am glad that you liked those pieces Doren- Have a great Christmas.

[oldtimer]

Very nice acquisitions this week.  You all seem to have had a great early Christmas

[Bobby Rico]

7 hours ago, caldigger said:

Rob

 

6 hours ago, Nimravis said:

 

 

Thank you Rob!!! Picture doesn't do these beauties justice

 

 

It was completely my pleasure merry Christmas @caldigger Doren and @Nimravis . Ralph that is some fantastic gift of a jaw bone, very kind.  This forum has some really awesome members. 

 

All the best Bobby 

[caldigger]

30 minutes ago, Bobby Rico said:

This forum has some really awesome members. 

You said it!

[Haravex]

Forgot to add this one which was my latest mail package Apateon pedestris.

 

[caldigger]

Ever since. I first went to the Tucson show several years ago, I have been wanting a fossil sea star (known as a starfish to some of you). Anyway, I wasn't attracted to many of those carved up enhanced ones you see so often. I like fossils as natural as can be.

Several times I almost had one, but always seemed to get outbid at the very last second.

I finally got one. A Lebanese Cretaceous Brittle Star and all the legs are intact. Yippee!

 

[Pagurus]

     Oooh, that's an awesome starfish sea star specimen! (I got so tired of first-graders correcting me anytime I said, "starfish", that I finally gave in and called those beautiful critters sea stars. You have a gorgeous brittle star!  I have a favorite tidepool on the Maine coast that I've been visiting at least once a year (for at least sixty years) just to be sure it still harbors a few brittle stars. It always does, and I'm grateful for that. I almost didn't get there this year but my son helped me navigate the seaweed-covered rocks just so we could share that tidepool again. Congratulations on your new acquisition.

[Bobby Rico]

7 hours ago, caldigger said:

A Lebanese Cretaceous Brittle Star and all the legs are intact. Yippee!

Beautiful fossil they are on my would like to have list . 

[LiamL]

It's finally arrived! My Mosasaur jaw from Morroco! Thank you again @RJB

If anyone can ID the species i'd love it!