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Collectors What is Your Most Prized Fossil?


Huntonia

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I know there are a lot of fossil collectors on here so I figured I would start this discussion. Collectors new and experienced which fossil in your collection is your favorite and why. 

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There are a few that I consider as the most prized pieces in my collection due to their rarity, their quality or their esthetic look.
Very hard to pick the one though, although I suppose that honor should go to my large Prognathodon lower jaw from Khouribga in Morocco (Cretaceous, 72 mya)

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Others that I consider as my most prized fossils are

 

My Atractosteus messelensis from the famous Messel Quarry in Germany (Eocene, 47 mya)

Due to it's rarity, it's amazing preservation and the fact that it's from the famous Messel quarry.
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My Mawsonia lavocati quadrate bone from the Kem Kem beds in Morocco (Cretaceous) 95 mya
Due to it's rarity, Mawsonia fossils aren't very common.

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My Mantellisaurus vertebra from the Isle of Wight in the UK (Cretaceous, 130 mya)
Iguanodon is one of my favorite dinosaurs, and it being from the same time period as the Bernissart Iguanodons is a plus for me, it was always a fossil I've wanted for my collection.

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My Arthropleura armata body segment scute from the Upper Silesia Coal Basin in Poland (Carboniferous, 315 - 310 mya)
Due to it's rarity and that it's such an iconic and famous critter from the Carboniferous, I am a huge lover of invertebrates so a Arthropleura fossil was a must have for me.

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My piece of Stegosaurus gular armor found in the Morrison formation, Moffat County, Colorado, USA (Jurassic, 156 - 147 mya)
Due to it's rarity, the fact that is was an associated find and just because it's from such an iconic dinosaur.

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My 3 Mycterosaurus jaw fragments are one of my favorite fossils, found in Richards Spur, Oklahoma, USA (Permian, 295 - 290 mya)
The Permian is one of my favorite time periods and these are one of my favorite fossils in the collection.

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My Althaspis (agnathan fish) found in the River Dnister, Ternopil region, Ukraine (Devonian, 419 - 407 mya)

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My Dipterus valenciennesi found in the Achanarras Quarry, Caithness, Scotland, UK (Devonian, 385 mya)
One of my favorite fossils!

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My Rhynchosauroides peabodyi footprint found in the Winterswijk Quarry in the Netherlands (Triassic, 235 mya)

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My Carcharodon carcharias tooth found in the Atacama desert in Peru, my favourite and best shark tooth in my collection (Pliocene, 4 mya)

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And these two micro cretaceous mammal teeth from the Hell Creek formation, South Dakota, USA (Cretaceous, 66 mya) 
The incisor belongs to Altacreodus magnus and the molar belongs to Alphadon marshi.

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There are a whole lot more that I omitted because I probably could go one, but these to indeed rank as my most prized fossils in the collection regarding rarity, quality & personal preference. :) 
I'd also name my life sized Spinosaurus skull replica, but that isn't technically a real fossil ;) 

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Interested in all things paleontology, geology, zoology, evolution, natural history and science!
Professional exotic pet keeper, huge fantasy geek, explorer of the microfossil realm, member of the BVP (Belgian Association for Paleontology), Volunteer prepper at Oertijdmuseum Boxtel.  

View my collection topic here:

The Growing Collection of Ziggycardon
My animal collection at the "Members pet" topic

Ziggycardon's exploration of the microfossil realm

Trips to Eben Emael (Maastrichtian of Belgium)

My latest fossil hunt

 

Next project will be a dedicated prepping space.

 

"A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." - Tyrion Lannister

 

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This is a great topic! And also hard for me to choose as I have a few. 

 

I have narrowed it down to these three. 

 

tarbosaurus bataar, a multi coloured baryonyx and an Argentinian theropod tooth. Maybe carnotaurus or giganotosaurus. Who knows! I won’t ever see another like it I don’t think

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To follow behind @ziggycardon, I have to give the honor to my Prognathodon sp. jaws from Oued Zem, Morocco. I have quite a few Ordovician finds surrounding it, mostly orthocone nautiloids, a tabulate coral colony, brachiopods, etc. I simply don't have room in my room for now to properly organize Cretaceous from Ordovician. A close second though is my Tyrannosaurus rex maxillary tooth (with restored tip) from Butte County, SD.

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Hard to choose just one, so here are a couple that I like a lot. 

 

 

Phaetonellus planicauda from the Anti-Atlas mountains. My rarest trilobite. I like it a lot because it is a beautifel trilobite and because it was a birthday present.

Afbeeldingsresultaat voor Phaetonellus

 

Three Ceratarges from Jbel Zerg, Morocco. My coolest trilobite piece. 25 freestanding spines in total.

Afbeeldingsresultaat voor ceratarges trio

 

Next, my coolest dinosaur tooth. The Nodosaur Denversaurus schlessmani

Gerelateerde afbeelding

 

It's very hard to choose just a couple, especially since I love all my fossils.

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This topic will be fun. But for me it's an easy choice :)

I'll go with my 4.5 inch Caracharodontosaurid tooth from KemKem

 

IMG_1519.jpg.9e6b66d5c003bbd590eb96088757fab2.jpg

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6 minutes ago, RuMert said:

Nice topic, hope to see here a lot of Drool-Inducing images!

I probably chose a big jurassic vert nobody is able to ID:

 

could this be a plesiosaur vert?

 

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Wow, some really impressive fossils here. Love those Ceratarges, very nice spiny trilobites. :trilowalk:

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It's put to shame by you guy's fossils but if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be my Huntonia Oklahomae. 

20190604_152107.jpg

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I have 2 of them and everyone here will laugh at them when you see them but here goes... the first one is the first “real fossil” (at least to my mind then) I ever found on my own. Before that all I had found was pieces of shell, pieces of croanid stem etc. the second my aunt and uncle in Iowa found this on one of their travels. I know they saw it by a river. Anyway they threw it in a box. Fast forward multiple years later they happen to find it while cleaning and remember I like fossils so they send it to me. I come home from work and there’s a box on the step with this inside and a note “we hope you like this” these are my favorites.

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94785365-139B-452C-B68C-89B37E967357.jpeg

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On 6/4/2019 at 6:24 PM, Huntonia said:

It's put to shame by you guy's fossils but if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be my Huntonia Oklahomae. 

20190604_152107.jpg

 

On 6/4/2019 at 8:52 PM, Randyw said:

I have 2 of them and everyone here will laugh at them when you see them but here goes... the first one is the first “real fossil” (at least to my mind then) I ever found on my own. Before that all I had found was pieces of shell, pieces of croanid stem etc. the second my aunt and uncle in Iowa found this on one of their travels. I know they saw it by a river. Anyway they threw it in a box. Fast forward multiple years later they happen to find it while cleaning and remember I like fossils so they send it to me. I come home from work and there’s a box on the step with this inside and a note “we hope you like this” these are my favorites.

D4543ECB-0EAA-41EE-9A0F-FDCBFEDA7B1D.jpeg  94785365-139B-452C-B68C-89B37E967357.jpeg

Nothing wrong with those fossils at all! They clearly mean a lot to you two, whether or not they're rare fossils, all that matters is you appreciating them and learning from them. Every collection starts from something. Who knows what other neat fossils you all could find or get in the future!

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Randyw there is nothing wrong with ammonites, I have a few in my collection that I like quite a lot, one in particularl was given to me by a friend and due to the quartz crystal in it I am inclined to say it is my oldest fossil.

 

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Wow. The fossils shown in this thread are amazing. It's so cool to see what others have. 

 

I can't decide which of my fossils is my most prized. My two favorites are my profile pic Auriculatus/Sokolovi tooth and my C. hubbelli tooth. I have a soft spot for teeth with crazy serrations. 

 

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On 6/5/2019 at 12:21 AM, Praefectus said:

Wow. The fossils shown in this thread are amazing. It's so cool to see what others have. 

 

I can't decide which of my fossils is my most prized. My two favorites are my profile pic Auriculatus/Sokolovi tooth and my C. hubbelli tooth. I have a soft spot for teeth with crazy serrations. 

 

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Very cool teeth. Do you have any Hemipristis Serra teeth? I've always loved the way those look with the wicked serrations. 

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19 minutes ago, Huntonia said:

Very cool teeth. Do you have any Hemipristis Serra teeth? I've always loved the way those look with the wicked serrations. 

I do have some Hemipristis teeth. I don't have any pictures handy at the moment but I love the wicked serrations too. 

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5 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

I prize Kermit most of all for his humor :)

 

 

Sweet bug! What species is it? I don't believe I've ever seen one.:zzzzscratchchin:

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Isn’t that fromthe greenious froggyus family found in the muppet formation? Sorry I couldn’t resist. I’ll go hide in the corner of shame now.....

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5 hours ago, Huntonia said:

Sweet bug! What species is it? I don't believe I've ever seen one.:zzzzscratchchin:

Isotelus gigas. It's my favourite of his trilobites. Verulam Formation (Ontario), Ordovician. 

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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13 hours ago, RuMert said:

It could but different form (plesiosaur verts are usually very thick and round and have 2 holes on side). Some of my plesiosaur verts: 

 

 

 

 

 

It could be a cervical vertebra of plesiosaur 

IMG_20190605_130220.jpg

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I have a lot of favorite fossils but here is my top 4 of own finds:

 

Ornithoheirid Pterosaur tooth IOW 

Ichthyosaur (Ophtalmosaurus) vertebra France

A huge goniatite (Manticoceras) from Belgium 

And a nautiloid from Belgium

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7 hours ago, Huntonia said:

Sweet bug! What species is it? I don't believe I've ever seen one.:zzzzscratchchin:

Kane got it right. He's already made Kermit's aquaintance.

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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On 6/4/2019 at 6:24 PM, Huntonia said:

It's put to shame by you guy's fossils but if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be my Huntonia Oklahomae. 

20190604_152107.jpg

Did you prep and find this yourself?

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