Bird Fossil

[Crazyhen]

This is an Enantiornithes bird found at Liaoning of China.  Note the chest region in which it looks like remnant of skin (and feathers around the body too).  Also, there is a pair of long tail feathers.  What do you think about its authenticity?

[rocket]

let me say it like this: when it is real (and for me it looks like) its a great one

Left feet with claws looks been done

some of the birds do have two long feathers at the tail. We have some, strange and interesting fossil

Edited July 25, 2023 by rocket

[RJB]

I'm with rocket.  Looks good except left foot but claws look good to me though.

 

RB

[Mark Kmiecik]

Are we talking about the bird's left foot, or the foot on the left side? We're looking at a ventral view, so the foot on the left is the bird's right foot.

[Fossildude19]

I have edited the image, and reversed the colors:

 

 

 

 

I see a bit of color difference in the toes on the left.  The possible "fish" under the right claw is interesting. 

 

[Troodon]

The photos look good and it's very interesting specimen.  However I caution not to validate its authenticity without a hand examination and a UV light.  Hard to determine if any resto has been done with these images.    Certainly worth further examination.

[Crazyhen]

5 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

I have edited the image, and reversed the colors:

 

 

 

 

I see a bit of color difference in the toes on the left.  The possible "fish" under the right claw is interesting. 

 

Yes, it's very interesting to see a fish by the right claw of the bird, the bird and the fish might just happen to be on the same plate but would it be possible that the bird caught the fish in its claw?

[Fossildude19]

17 minutes ago, Crazyhen said:

Yes, it's very interesting to see a fish by the right claw of the bird, the bird and the fish might just happen to be on the same plate but would it be possible that the bird caught the fish in its claw?

 

It's possible.  Not sure how likely it is, but it is within the realm of possibility. I just don't know of a scenario where when the bird died, it didn't loosen it's grip on the fish. It is an interesting plate, for sure.

[North]

1 hour ago, Fossildude19 said:

 

It's possible.  Not sure how likely it is, but it is within the realm of possibility. I just don't know of a scenario where when the bird died, it didn't loosen it's grip on the fish. It is an interesting plate, for sure.

Atleast modern birds have locking mechanism in their legs. When legs are bend, toes are locked to the grasping position, allowing bird to hold on prey or branch with little effort.

 

But can't really comment what is the case with this case.

[Randyw]

The fish appears to me to be under the leg bone not in the claw. I suspect the bird carcass landed on the dead fish. Still really cool though!

[Auspex]

This is either the best Liaoning bird I've seen outside a museum, or a very, very good cast.

One is priceless, the other worthless. I would only buy it after an in-hand, microscopic analysis shows it to be genuine.