Accuracy of Alverasaurus Mononykus Claw for Sale

[TyBoy]

Seller is offering a hand claw and digit from an Alverasaurus Mononykus from Montana.  Is it accurate?

 

[Troodon]

Its been up for sale for quite a while and its an attempt at an identification.  Its neither an Alvarezsaurus or Mononykus.  Both of those are a genus of Alvarezsaurids, Alvarezsaurus is from Argentina and Mononykus is from Mongolia.  No Alvarezsaurid is described from the Hell Creek Formation but its similar to  the North American species in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Alberta, Albertonykus borealis.

 

I had the opportunity to see this claw at the Tucson show and although not mentioned in the listing the tip of the claw has been restored, see my photos.  So what you have is a complete hand digit, only one in this family, consisting of a carpal, Phalanx I and a Claw.  I believe, not positive, that they were found together despite the variation in color, carpals are pretty rare.  Isolated material has been found in the Hell Creek but guessing not enough for it to be describe. 

So its best identified as either "cf Albertonykus borealis" or "Alvarezsauridae indet" .Hope that helps. 

 

This is what the the digit looks like

 

[JarrodB]

That's a huge amount of restoration not to be listed. 

[Troodon]

13 minutes ago, JarrodB said:

That's a huge amount of restoration not to be listed. 

Yep and you can see the shade difference if you were very observant.   Could just be an oversight, the entire description was missing.