talon22 Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Hi, Saw this for sale, was thinking of purchasing it, but wanted to confirm if this is indeed Plesiosaur. it is quite large for a partial paddle at 14 inches in length and from the Goulmima region in Morocco. Thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Here is an illustration from a Mosasaur and they are described from Goulmima region 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talon22 Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 Thanks. So do you believe this is more likely to be from a Mosasaur? i know Tethysaurus is described from the same region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelius Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 I'm not an expert, but I believe that the specimens of tethysaurus are usually quite poorly preserved and distorted, this looks to me as though it's from a different bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdp Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Looks plesiosaur to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talon22 Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 I want to purchase it if it is indeed plesiosaur. Are there any specific features that help differentiate between plesiosaur and mosasaur ulnas? Does the largish size of the paddle make it more likely to be plesiosaur since the mosasaurs from the Turonian were relatively small and basal? Or maybe i am wrong in that assessment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdp Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 The large bone is a humerus, not an ulna. The crescent shape of the smaller bones (radius and ulna) with space between them shows clearly that those are not carpals. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdp Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 e.g. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talon22 Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 Oh ok thanks, i was going by the mosasaur picture and thought it was an ulna (larger bone) with two carpals. My mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talon22 Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 2 hours ago, jdp said: Looks plesiosaur to me. Are you confident about the id?, if you don't mind me asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdp Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Confident enough but I am not giving an appraisal of value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 Definitely part of a plesiosaur paddle, almost certainly polycotylid, as these are found in the same beds. Compare to the below two paddles, and the Manemergus anguirostris skeleton. 2 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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