huangeric Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Purchased from online. Morocco fossil. Are they Mosasaur, Plesiosaur, Spinosaur or other species? Need help for ID, Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msantix Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Hi, welcome to the forum! This to me looks like a Zarafasaura vertebrae (a plesiosaur). Can you tell us the locality it is from? such as the Kem Kem Beds or the Oulad Abdoun Basin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigantoraptor Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Looks to be Plesiosaur. Seeing the matrix this is from one of the Maastrichtian phosphate mines around Khouribga. The only described plesiosaur at this location is Zarafasaura oceanis. It's definitly not Spinosaurus since that animal is much older (Cenomanian) and didn't occur at this location. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huangeric Posted April 3, 2019 Author Share Posted April 3, 2019 (edited) The seller didn't mention the fossil location. Is it a rare or common fossil? Edited April 3, 2019 by huangeric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigantoraptor Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 8 minutes ago, huangeric said: The seller didn't mention the fossil location. Is it a rare or common fossil? Zarafasaura oceanis teeth are pretty common, althought not as common as Mosasaur teeth. Bones are a bit more difficult to find, certainly in a decent, original condition, but can stil be found. It's not too rare, not too common. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huangeric Posted April 4, 2019 Author Share Posted April 4, 2019 Thanks so much for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olorotitan Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 I have seen this seller on that auction site. The matrix looks very much like khouribga phosphate beds which would place it in the maastrichtian, more recent than Spinosaur age (cenomanian). I would say plesiosaur or mosasaur with ribs. Other members saying zarafasaura plesiosaur are probably right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomotodon Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 Well this seller is frequently selling fakes/heavily restored specimens with incorrect information. I’m no expert in bones, but the bigger vertebra looks to me like a vert of a modern mammal placed on a Khouribga matrix (cow, for instance). Again, I’m not 100% sure, maybe @Harry Pristis could help 1 The Tooth Fairy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 I thought the export of vertebrate fossils from Morocco was illegal. Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelius Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 55 minutes ago, Mark Kmiecik said: I thought the export of vertebrate fossils from Morocco was illegal. No, it's not. On 04/04/2019 at 8:55 PM, Anomotodon said: Well this seller is frequently selling fakes/heavily restored specimens with incorrect information. I’m no expert in bones, but the bigger vertebra looks to me like a vert of a modern mammal placed on a Khouribga matrix (cow, for instance). Again, I’m not 100% sure, maybe @Harry Pristis could help It looks quite legit to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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