Tip is complete without any fabrication and is original to the very pointed tip as seen in the amazingly well-preserved surface detail of pores in this completely genuine claw!

End is also original with superb pore structures intact testifying to the lack of fabrication - RARE!

SUPER RARE GIANT VELOCIRAPTORINE "RAPTOR" HAND CLAW FROM HELL CREEK, UNITED STATES

Hell Creek - Butte County, South Dakota, U.S.A.

LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD:  96 - 66 million years ago

WARNING:  We are seeing more and more claws that have been expertly reconstructed and restored being sold as "no restoration or repair".  Very large claws have just been coming out of Morocco in the past year with extraordinarily high quality workmanship in fabrication and repair.  This is being done to fully exploit the highest possible price at the source by the brokers of the diggers who find the claws and fossils.  These expertly repaired and restored claws can fool all but the most trained eye and anyone that does not actually have extensive experience in fossil restoration, repair and preparation will likely not be able to tell the difference.  These claws are being sold at shows and on the internet as having "NO REPAIR and/or NO RESTORATION" which is simply untrue but the ignorance of the seller is just repeating what the Moroccan dealer told him without their own ability to discern if any work was truly performed on the claw.  This migration of highly skilled restoration work being done now at the source country of the fossils is actually becoming more the norm with all fossils on the market.  It is IMPERATIVE to ONLY deal with a very knowledgeable dealer who has considerable and first-hand personal experience with all facets of fossil fabrication, restoration and repair in order to avoid becoming a victim of the ignorance and fraud that unfortunately plagues this business. 

Without a doubt, a raptor claw is the most sought-after fossil amongst all dinosaur fossil collectors regardless of how advanced they are.  Fossil claws of high quality preservation and size coming from the famous Hell Creek deposit in the United States are probably the most rare and therefore, the most valuable.  Large fine grade carnivorous dinosaur claws from Hell Creek are definitely high yield investments as well as show-stopping specimens.  For its astonishing array of dangerous and large prehistoric predator fossils, no place has captured more attention or has been featured on television more than Hell Creek!  With most raptor fossils being found in Hell Creek the size of a small dog, some remains of very large raptor dinosaurs, as large or larger than Velociraptor have been recently discovered there.  A giant hand claw such as this would have placed this Velociraptorine raptor at a size just LARGER than the famous Velociraptors found in China and featured on every Jurassic Park film.  

Very important emphasis should be placed on not only the size of this specimen but its lack of fabrication.  It was found with cracks but the sharp tip to the proximal stub was present and the only work done to this amazing specimen is the cracks were filled and stabilized.  Color is natural, tip is real and the above photos of both ends of the claw display pore detail in the claw that can only be found in genuine specimens.  Millions of years ago when the claw was buried, some slight distortion ensued but in no way does this detract or devalue such a remarkable specimen such as this is.  The hand claws of the raptor were used by the creature to rip open flesh and hold on to its unfortunate victims as it kicked and eviscerated its prey with its killing claw.  

Most hand claws found from dromaeosaurs are a fraction of this massive specimen.  On very rare occasions, teeth are found indicating a Velociraptorine dinosaur of proportions even larger than Velociraptor variants of Mongolia existed in North America in the Late Cretaceous.  This is the first time we have ever been so fortunate to secure such a specimen with Hell Creek provenance!!!  

It is estimated that the Velociraptorine dinosaur this claw came from would have been larger than the famous (from Jurassic Park) Velociraptor mongoliensis by as much as 50%!  As one of the largest raptor hand claws you will find from Hell Creek, this is one of our most highly recommended fossil specimens we have listed as of this moment.  Don't miss it!

The "killing claw" of raptors was a terrifying and incredibly efficient weapon.  As they moved, it was held off the ground.  When the muscles of the toe were contracted, the claw swept down quickly, providing for a powerful slash that may have been able to disembowel prey swiftly.  The stiffened tail would have been good to stabilize the body while the grasping arms and jaws held onto the prey for balance.  Although there is no conclusive evidence for this, it has been suggested that raptors could have performed leaps onto large prey and used all four limbs to rip wounds in them.  Raptors were ferocious predators that some scientists believe hunted in packs and attacked much larger dinosaurs by slashing their underbellies.  It is also believed that they were similar to lions in predatory behavior, preferring ambushes and quick chases using their high maneuverability along with strategic pack-hunting tactics.  A human could be torn to shreds by a pack of raptors in less than 30 seconds.  

Dinosaur claws are the most requested and in-demand fossil with raptor killing claws ranking at the top.  No other  fossil has such promising investment potential or appreciable value as does a claw.  Claws are far more rare than teeth and most claws seen on the market are more restoration than real... especially large claws!  

If you are contemplating investing in a large genuine raptor claw, this is one rare opportunity.   With its superb surface detail and hue, you will be hard-pressed to find any other specimen to compare to this valuable and important example. 

EXTREMELY RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE AN INVESTMENT-GRADE VELOCIRAPTORID HAND CLAW

OF HUGE PROPORTION AND INCREDIBLY RARE GENUINE INTACT TIP - OUR HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!

FOSSIL CLAWS OF THIS GRADE FROM THE FAMOUS HELL CREEK FORMATION IN THE U.S.A. ARE

AMONGST THE MOST IN-DEMAND FOSSILS OF ALL - THE PINNACLE OF A COLLECTION!!!

3" long! on the dorsal curve

SOLD     DC-002     INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX     Actual Item - One Only

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE DROMAEOSAUR "RAPTOR" FOSSILS FOR SALE

Velociraptor courtesy of MINEO SHIRAISHI  and used with permission.  This image is protected by copyright.

4495