nathancooper Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 Bought from a antique fair and was told it was a mosasaurus from north Africa but not sure , was wondering if a good idea to disassemble and rebuild to a more natural for ? Regards Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigantoraptor Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 Yeah, it's a mosasaur species from the late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Khouribga, Morocco. Do you have more pictures to determine if this is a composite? Close-ups from the jaws would be very helpfull. I think this will be a composite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 @jnoun11 Cropped, rotated, and brightened: Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathancooper Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 I was worried it was composite but it looks very good compared to some composite that I've seen and you can see the base of the spine and the base of the jaw through the stone/sand media Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathancooper Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathancooper Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyBoy Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 I really think we need sharp photos of the top area that shows the jaws and teeth. The tooth in the first photo from the prior post looks added but its difficult to say for sure without a closeup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrophyseter Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 I'm not sure about the authenticity of the jaws, but I think that the neckbones on the back of the skull are Enchodus (or some other fish) vertebrae. Unless the fish was buried on top of the mosasaur's neck, this could possibly be an attempt at a chimera which could raise some doubts regarding the authenticity of the other parts. Just an aumateur enthusiast's opinion, though. 2 If you're a fossil nut from Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Redondo Beach, or Torrance, feel free to shoot me a PM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 yeah, those neck bones are certainly fish, not mosasaur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 Yes very fishy..the Jaws are also positioned too perfectly for it not to be a composite. We do need better photos to see what is going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathancooper Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 Afraid I'm still learning but the fossilised bone does look very real and I thought composite does look really fake ( well the stuff that I've seen anyway ) , I thought I was taking a big risk but looked good especially where you can see the jaw bone showing through at the base where the sand stone has broken away so would of been covered when I first bought it 6 months ago , it just seems a bit too much for a composite ( fake? ) to have the bone going through the sand stone but I do understand where this item has originated from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snolly50 Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 51 minutes ago, nathancooper said: Afraid I'm still learning but the fossilised bone does look very real and I thought composite does look really fake ( well the stuff that I've seen anyway ) , I thought I was taking a big risk but looked good especially where you can see the jaw bone showing through at the base where the sand stone has broken away so would of been covered when I first bought it 6 months ago , it just seems a bit too much for a composite ( fake? ) to have the bone going through the sand stone but I do understand where this item has originated from. Your point employs sound logic, however, there is another factor not accounted for in your reasoning. The fakers/compositists/reconstructors/artisans often employ ersatz matrix as well. This is an effort to hide mischief or to simply "make" something from nothing. The most notorious "jaws" with man-made matrix are decidedly loaf-shaped. A piece I deconstructed years ago had a distinctive odor when dissolved (easily) in water. It smelled of fresh garden soil. I have not a clue as to the out of the ground originality of your piece, however, the possibility of fake, monkeyed matrix should not be overlooked in evaluation. 1 Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 100% a composite. Sorry to bring really bad news. This skull has been posted on the forum before if I'm not mistaking and was discussed at length. And it's sadly a horrible botch job. Yes it's a composite for sure. The anatomy isn't right at all. The "neck" is made from caudal/tail vertebrae. The whole braincase area is missing, there is no room for eyes or nostrils. I doubt very little of these bones belong together. It's good the animal is already dead, otherwise it should have been put out of it's misery. While the bones seem to be real, it's kind of a monstrosity made from different animals. 3 Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathancooper Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 Thank you for your reply , is there any way of salvaging this ? , if I separate the item would it be better that the spine was removed and separate the jaws from the skull ? , any help will be must appreciated . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelius Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Separating it would be a more delicate and time consuming job than you might imagine. These blocks are usually consolidated with strong glue, varnish and all sorts. The block isn't without value, since there are some nice distinct parts of bone which are very nice. I'd like to take it apart, personally, and see what is left, but I personally wouldn't pay all that much for it. The teeth being added in is a real problem, in terms of value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathancooper Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 Well I have bit the bullet and stripped down the composite skull , was wondering if someone had a good photo or two so I could try and rebuild it to a study item , I know it will struggle to be 100% correct but trying to make it better than it was . Regards Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 The vertebrae simply won't fit with the skull as it's a part of a tail. but you might be able to make something presentable from the skull pieces by making the inbetween bits. It's mainly missing the quadrates, braincase, lacrimals, premaxilla and such. Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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