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GIANT VELOCIRAPTORINE "RAPTOR" KILLING CLAW - Tegana Formation - Kem Kem, Morocco LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD: 96 - 66 million years ago WARNING: We are seeing more and more claws coming out of Morocco that have been expertly reconstructed and restored IN Morocco. The workmanship is equal to U.S. skill levels and this is being done to fully exploit gaining 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. Not only is this just any raptor claw but it is THE killing claw of the foot, the rarest of all! A raptor killing claw is the "holy grail" of fossils and years can go by before one ever becomes available on the market. At first, we thought this was from a larger type dinosaur than a raptor based on its enormous dimensions. Upon close inspection, we could definitely see that not only was this a raptor killing claw but it is the largest specimen we have ever seen come from the Northern Sahara Cretaceous deposits. It is MORE than 50% larger than the largest we have found! This killing claw exhibits a wonderful rich golden patina caused by the typical soils and minerals of the Kem Kem. Most killing claws found from dromaeosaurs in the Northern Sahara are much smaller than this specimen. On very rare occasions, teeth are found indicating a Velociraptorine dinosaur of proportions even larger than Velociraptor variants found in North America and Mongolia existed in the North Sahara region in the Late Cretaceous. This is the first time we have ever been so fortunate to secure not just ANY post-cranial remains of this monstrous Velociraptorine creature, but THE KILLING CLAW of this killer dinosaur!!! 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 killing claws you will find from the Kem Kem, this is one of our most highly recommended fossil specimens we could offer. 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. At over FIVE INCHES, it most definitely did some serious disemboweling in its day. There is restoration to the last 1.25" of the tip. This part was missing when the claw was found and could have even likely been damaged when the giant monster was still alive. We professionally restored this area and it is virtually undetectable except to the well-trained eye. Despite this claw being found with tip damage when uncovered, the rest of the claw WAS found intact and the entire body is solid without ANY fractures, repair or restoration. QUITE REMARKABLE! Surface detail and coloration is FIRST RATE and much of the posterior structure and detail remains intact with no restoration in this area - a common region usually in need of work. The entire surface is dense and has held up remarkably well for the last 90 million years.
It is highly likely that we will not ever have another claw like this again. Diggers in the Kem Kem are now digging THREE TIMES the depths that was dug just a couple of years ago. Once they penetrate the Cretaceous layer, no more dinosaur fossils CAN be found and they are at that threshold (and have been for over a year) now! If you are contemplating investing in a large genuine raptor killing 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 rarity. AN EXTREMELY RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE A SPECTACULAR VELOCIRAPTORID KILLING CLAW OF IMMENSE PROPORTIONS - OUR HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! 5.2" long on the dorsal curve SOLD DC10 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
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CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE DROMAEOSAUR "RAPTOR" FOSSILS FOR SALE |
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Velociraptor courtesy of MINEO SHIRAISHI and used with permission. This image is protected by copyright. |
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This
enormous Velociraptor "raptor" killing claw epitomizes the dream fossil of ANY and
EVERY collector. 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! 