Majungasaurus Tooth?

[Troodon]

2 minutes ago, dinostock said:

I am familiar with a paleontologist that is quite familiar with Madagascaran theropods and he would be my source to send photos and possibly the tooth to for him and his researchers to study. 

That would be great please let us know what he says in case this type of tooth pops up again.

[dinostock]

Just now, Troodon said:

That would be great please let us know what he says in case this type of tooth pops up again.

 

Of course. I really wanted to have a Majungasaurus tooth but this tooth could be useful to science so that would be a win for all. If not, it is still an interesting tooth in my collection. For advice how should I handle it with the seller? It was not as described but is the seller liable for that? I'm not looking for retribution just to make sure others are not mislead.

[Troodon]

2 hours ago, dinostock said:

 

Of course. I really wanted to have a Majungasaurus tooth but this tooth could be useful to science so that would be a win for all. If not, it is still an interesting tooth in my collection. For advice how should I handle it with the seller? It was not as described but is the seller liable for that? I'm not looking for retribution just to make sure others are not mislead.

I would just get back with him and let him know what you found so he could be more careful in the future. 

[dinostock]

2 hours ago, Troodon said:

I would just get back with him and let him know what you found so he could be more careful in the future. 

 

Thanks for your advice.

 

So it seems the only other theropods that coexisted with Majungasaurus were Rahonavis and Masiakasaurus. It of course could not be from Rahonavis due to the size, any chance it is a Masiakasaurus tooth? I am not super familiar with the dentition of that dinosaur besides knowing it had many teeth of varying sizes. The shape is certainly interesting as it is more reminiscent of a Tyrannosaurid with the recurvature and fine serration. That is why I thought it could be from the Hell Creek formation. I understand all we can do is guess, which is why I am hoping it can be officially studied. 

[Troodon]

I think the size of this tooth precludes anything already described.  The other possibility is not from that area but somewhere else in Madagascar.  Hopefully your friend can shed some light on it

[dinostock]

3 hours ago, Troodon said:

I would just get back with him and let him know what you found so he could ve more careful in the future.

Thank you for your advice. This was my first time dealing with said seller. For what it's worth it arrived on time and in a Riker box. It will most likely be my last purchase from said seller. I recently emailed my friend. He is Dr. David Krause from Stony Brook University. If anyone can identify a Madagascan theropod, he can. He and Stony Brook University have done years of research and excavations in Madagascar. They are known for discovering and contributing to what we currently know about dinosaurs in Madagascar. I am hopeful he is willing to help me in this matter. I will keep everyone updated on what he says!

[dinostock]

Here is an update for those who are curious:

 

Out of curiosity I did ask the seller for a certificate of authenticity. I understand it would do nothing for the verification but I still wanted one. I did not receive a response from the seller. To be fair I did receive the tooth in good condition and relatively fast shipping, but other than that I will leave discretion to future buyers. It will most likely be my last purchase from that seller.The tooth is still in my possession and it will remain so. I have not heard from Dr. David Krause yet. To be fair to him, as a paleontologist and a professor he probably has a full schedule. If I do hear from him I will relay his thoughts. I did ask some other people for advice with identification and have not had any luck. 

 

All hope is not lost. Going through some photos, there is a resemblance to some material found in 1896 (figure 4) as well as to teeth in the posterior dentary (skull cast of Majungasaurus). This does not confirm what I have but leads credence to it being as described. I want to hear what others have to think. As previously mentioned I will keep everyone updated if I do receive verification on the specimen. 

Edited November 11, 2019 by dinostock

[Troodon]

COA is a worthless document but if that helps you fine.

Majungasaurus is an Abelsaurid.  The morphology of that family of teeth is that the distal edge is basically perpendicular to the base not recurved as in your specimen.

Here are images from a much more recent paper showing what I am saying.

[dinostock]

@Troodon I appreciate your input. I  know a COA is meaningless but the fact the seller didn't provide one is a red flag in my opinion. They seem to have ceased communication with me which as a seller is not great customer service. Thank you for posting that paper. I totally understand where you are coming from. Abelisaurs typically do not have recurved teeth as seen in Dromaeosaurs or Tyrannosaurs. It certainly is why I have had doubts after receiving the specimen. I know that the majority of Majungasaurus teeth are not recurved but that does not mean there weren't any that were recurved. If you look at the mandible in the pictures provided there are some teeth that are more recurved than others. The one in the furthest back is especially recurved compared to the rest. What I am saying is there is a small chance it is indeed from a Majungasaurus. I will not claim it is until I have a paleontologist for sure tell me one way or another. 

[dinostock]

1 June 2007CRANIOFACIAL ANATOMY OF MAJUNGASAURUS CRENATISSIMUS (THEROPODA: ABELISAURIDAE) FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF MADAGASCAR

SCOTT D. SAMPSON, LAWRENCE M. WITMER

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by dinostock

[Troodon]

Here are two more good photos showing the dentary of one and closeups of all most of the teeth in that jaw.  None of these teeth closely resemble your specimen and the most posterior teeth just have a slight curvature at the very tip.  None of the distal edges are recurved like your tooth.   Call it what you like its your tooth, enough said.

[dinostock]

Hello I figured I would give an update and say that I wholeheartedly agree with @Troodon. The tooth I purchased off online is not from a Majungasaurus. His input as well as from other experts are clear that it is from an unidentified theropod tooth. It is still a very cool tooth that I will keep in my collection. Maybe one day it will correctly attributed but for now I hope it serves as a warning that buyer beware. For people like myself who like to collect dinosaur fossils but are still learning please utilize this forum and ask people like @Troodon before purchasing. 

 

Thank you to all who have helped and given their input!