Mysterious theropod tooth from North Africa

[Fn8]

3 years ago a very gullible me bought a lot on ebay containg what were sold as Spinosaurus aegyptiacus teeth.

It was pretty much a disappointment, i paid a lot for teeth in a very bad shape, visibly glued together and with sediment still attached to them. I was a beginner at collectig fossils so I considert that purchase as false but needed step. However this particular tooth intrigue me. It's in a very bad shape, but it's different from the others more "pale" (and fortunately better) Spinosauridae sp. teeth that I had in my little collection.

It was written that they all comes from the Kem Kem formation, but I don't know if that's true.

Can someone identify the specie to which it belog?

 

Thanks

 

Fn8

 

[Troodon]

Welcome to the forum 

 

I believe this is a Kem Kem tooth from Morocco since the matrix that remains on the tooth is consistent with that deposit. Partial teeth are more difficult to diagnose but I believe you have a Spinosaurid tooth, could be croc but too compressed.  Matrix on the teeth is pretty typical of you see being sold. 

 

Brightened your teeth for a better look

[JohnBrewer]

Glued together is synonymous with Kem Kem

[abyssunder]

I can see faint serration on one blade. Is that characteristic to Spinosaurus?

[LordTrilobite]

I agree with Troodon, the sediment remains seem consistent with the Kem Kem beds. Though the tooth is quite dark, there is some variation in colour in Kem Kem.

This tooth isn't actually in that bad a shape. Yes it looks glued, but it's only repair. There doesn't seem to be any compositing, which is also really common in Kem Kem specimens. Despite the repairs, the tooth enamel seems to be in good shape. Removing some of the excess glue might still make this into a fairly nice tooth.

 

No Spinosaurid teeth from Kem Kem can be identified to genus level. At least two Spinosaurids are present in the Kem Kem beds, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus and Sigilmassasaurus. But there have been no good finds of jaws with teeth that can be properly identified as either. So right now it can only be identified to the family level.

[Troodon]

10 hours ago, abyssunder said:

I can see faint serration on one blade. Is that characteristic to Spinosaurus?

No serrations are not characteristic but I think what you are seeing is the cutting edge just not crisp which is typical.