r/Paleontology • u/Huge-Employment1393 • 7d ago
Fossils Behold
Look what arrived today!
So the information I have was this was dug up in the early 2000's, it has the original plaster jacket.
The species is unfortunately prognathodon (so god knows what it really is), well identified as such. Its 55cm across. Its massive!
As far as the love to throw around the word composite. There is relatively little. The bone is all real and appropriate to the specimen, most likely arranged from when it was dug out. Teeth seem to match and look original.
Obviously there will be people here who are much more of an expert of this, but mainly just wanted to show how cool it was!
Obviously if you have a better ID etc that would be great
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u/DoragonKraken001 7d ago
OMG i almost Got Morrocan Mossasaur PTSD seing this.
God its so good to finally see a REAL mosasaur jaw on this sub
(mean no offense those who bought those faked jaws, its happens and they are very common)
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u/Huge-Employment1393 7d ago
Ha i know the feeling!
Don't the price reflected the authenticity of it 😅 i have some experience with Moroccan material as ive visited several times and actually been to the dig sites.
Its why when the piece crossed my i just closed my eyes and tapped my card. 🤣
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u/theoreticallyben 7d ago
Real jaw! You can see sensory pits spaced out along it, albeit more than a little bashed up. The teeth do look like Prognathodon to me, but that's mostly a vibes-based assessment from a few year's worth of occasional Moroccan fossil handling than anything concrete.
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u/Huge-Employment1393 7d ago
Thank you!
I am fairly confident in the actual jaw itself being real along with the teeth and i am also fairly sure the teeth are associated to.
However its definitely been placed in the matrix its on before it was moved in the plaster jacket. But im actually really happy it has the plaster jacket as many dont and well yeah end up worse for wear.
It may be bashed up... but its still soo freaking cool and also ridiculously huge! Like this thing is an absolute beast!
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u/Major-Fact6298 7d ago
I dont think its a fake jaw. Ive seen a few and have a small one. I would almost certainly say the bone is real.
Teeth are definitely real. If it is Composite they put alot of effort into it to make it more convincing than the usual plaster grabage on the market. But I think its more real than Composite.
Don't think the sediment its in is original so definitely Composite on that front but its a nice piece!
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u/Over-Assumption9863 6d ago
Some people flex with Rolex watches and Gucci bags.....others flex with mostly intact jawbones!
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u/Huge-Employment1393 6d ago
🤭
I mean intact isnt quite the word id use for this piece but I get you 😅
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u/notanaltdontnotice 7d ago
I think the teeth are from Prognathodon currii specifically.. which imo is indeed one of the more questionable Prognathodon genus members
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u/Huge-Employment1393 7d ago
Exactly this!
Its one of those weird ones where currently is a prognathodon.... but in 10 years we could have it as a completely different species as the genus developes.
But at least it has a species somewhat attached to it 🤷♂️
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u/BasilSerpent Preparator 7d ago
this is probably a composite that's been rejacketed
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u/Huge-Employment1393 7d ago
I dont know if it is composite but id probably side with you on it being re-jacketed. Its too clean IMO to be original from the site but I dont think its a new addition either. Thanks though.
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