FossilSniper Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 I am currently browsing the internet for an affordable Moroccan dinosaur vertebra, and I have (potentially) found one. However, the seller does not provide an identification for this piece. The only write up provided is: (not directly copied from the seller's writeup) It is 5.8 cm x 6.7 cm x 5.2 cm in volume, and it was found in the Kem Kem basin. Here are the images. I have absolutely no clue how to identify vertebrae, as I have only ever collected fossils from the Ordovician! Any input would be valued. Thank you! FS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Do you have a view if the front of the vertebra all of the photos show the back end. Also like a side photo. These obtuse photos are nice but not good to ID Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilSniper Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 26 minutes ago, Troodon said: Do you have a view if the front of the vertebra all of the photos show the back end. Also like a side photo. These obtuse photos are nice but not good to ID Sorry Troodon, but these were all the images the seller provided. I wish the seller knew better to take side photos... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 What I expected on the photo, hoping but knew the answer. From what I see I'm leaning towards Crocodile Lets see what @LordTrilobite has to say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 That is a weird vert. I don't think it is croc... The concave end is not concave enough for a cretaceous croc. It does look sacral, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 I'd say croc cervical. It looks similar to other croc cervicals from the area. @jpc I know you definitely know your stuff, so I'm wondering why you'd say this looks like sacral. Looking to learn, that's all. Looks like a nice specimen. Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 I'll admit I don;t know much about croc cervicals, but the two projections well viewed in the second photo look to me like they would attach to the pelvis. Now if it is this big, is Sarcosuchus known from the Kem Kem beds? Or other huge crocs? Does Sarcosuchus have relatively flat ends of the centrum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilSniper Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 3 hours ago, jpc said: I'll admit I don;t know much about croc cervicals, but the two projections well viewed in the second photo look to me like they would attach to the pelvis. Now if it is this big, is Sarcosuchus known from the Kem Kem beds? Or other huge crocs? Does Sarcosuchus have relatively flat ends of the centrum? Sarcosuchus does not appear in the Kem Kem beds. But Elosuchus does, which is a relative of Sarcosuchus. I'm not sure about the details of the centrum ends of Sarcosuchus, but they aren't very convex at least. Elosuchus gets pretty big. I have some skull fragments where if I estimate the size conservatively it should be around 8 meters long. As this image show's the front of the cervical vertebrae is concave. But it's hard to tell how concave. Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 Hmmm.... OK... so Sarcosuchus and Elosuchus are part of the group of crocs that do not have extreme ball and socket ends to the centra.... what used to be called Mesosuchians. That leaves me shrugging my shoulders on this vert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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