Is this real: Spinosaurus Tooth

[Mt_Splashmore]

Hi All,

 

Completely new to the world of fossil collecting and starting small and safe with teeth!

 

But I’m conscious that there are a lot of fakes out there so to be safe I’ve completely written off the popular, colourful Auction site.

 

I have two fossils at the moment (please see my other real/fake post!) which I decided to buy off a site. They are well regarded on local groups and forums so seemed like the proper way of buying my first fossils.

 

In hindsight, I may have naively rushed into the purchases out of excitement without getting opinions from TFF (more because I didn’t know this place existed!).

 

My first fossil was, like many newbies, a Moroccan Spinosaurus tooth. The stated information is given below:

 

Spinosaurus sp. indet 

Tegana Formation, Aptian, Kem Kem Basin, Morocco

 

I do hope they are genuine, but I’d rather know the truth if they aren’t. If it is real, I’d also been keen to know any insight on condition, features, opinions you all may have!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

[Phos_01]

Hello Mt_Splashmore

 

Welcome to the forum. 

Good that you made a post here to check your fossil.Make sure to do so, when your hunting for a claw for example. 

 

This is a real Spinosaurus tooth, a nice one! Good size and preservation. Nice start to your collection. It has a very nice tip with a nice little wear facet on the very tip. 

It has a little filler to patch up a crack what is nothing to worry about. See photo attached. 

The partial root also looks good. 

Have a nice day. 

[Mt_Splashmore]

Hi Phos!

 

Excellent news, lucky to get away with buying before checking! Won’t be doing that again! 
 

Thank you for your insight, what is meant by a wear facet? Sounds interesting! 

 

[Phos_01]

14 minutes ago, Mt_Splashmore said:

what is meant by a wear facet

Feeding wear facet on the Dinosaurs teeth, much like on humans. Find an example bellow, so your teeth was used for eating meat

[Troodon]

1 hour ago, Mt_Splashmore said:

Spinosaurus sp. indet 

Tegana Formation, Aptian, Kem Kem Basin, Morocco

This is information is mostly wrong:

 

ID: Spinosaurid indet.

Tegana Formation does not exist never did.  It's from the Kem Kem Group Cenomanian in age, Kem Kem Basin, Morocco.

 

If you had a location might be able to provide you a Formation in the KKG.

[Troodon]

To respond to your question on wear facets it's when two teeth on opposite sides come in contact with one another and not due to feeding.  Typically found on Tyrannosaurid teeth, they are on either on the lingual or labial side but not both and can be long and oval but flat. 

[JohnJ]

(Details about the seller have been edited per the rules.)

[Mt_Splashmore]

Hi all,

 

Great to know about the facets, really interesting to see the little details that give fossils a little bit more ‘life’.

 

Also thanks for the heads up on the non-existent dig site! Proves I can’t take a seller’s information as gospel (who’d have thought!).