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COMPLETE VELOCIRAPTORINE DROMAEOSAUR "RAPTOR" FOOT CLAW FROM HELL CREEK Hell Creek Formation - Montana, U.S.A. LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD: 96 - 66 million years ago Without a doubt, a RAPTOR CLAW is the most sought-after fossil amongst all dinosaur fossil collectors regardless of how advanced they are. Fossil DROMAEOSAUR 'RAPTOR' claws of high quality preservation coming from the famous Hell Creek deposit in the United States are rare as well as being in THE HIGHEST COLLECTOR DEMAND therefore, the most valuable. 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! Dromaeosaur 'raptor' claws command the highest fossil prices of most dinosaur claws and are amongst the most requested dinosaur fossils. The majority are mostly pieced back together from fragments and require CONSIDERABLE restoration. This is a GRADE 10 INVESTMENT QUALITY VELOCIRAPTORINE DROMAEOSAUR FOOT CLAW from Hell Creek! Its lack of distortion, surface detail, and size make it a "top drawer" specimen for the advanced collector. With most raptors being the size of a small dog, this claw indicates it came from a larger Velociraptor-type dromaeosaur. It is one of the finest foot claws from a Hell Creek Velociraptorine dromaeosaur we have ever offered. The photos above attest to its immaculate condition. Only work performed was reconstruction of about 5 mm of a portion of the extreme tip. Supreme quality and detail abounds with a perfectly preserved blood groove along with all surfaces in the finest preservation. 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. EXTRAORDINARILY LARGE CLAWS HAVE BEEN COMING IN QUANTITY RECENTLY FROM MOROCCO. DESPITE THEIR HEFTY PRICE TAGS, SEVERAL WE HAVE EXAMINED WERE TOTAL FAKES! We have also heard this from one highly experienced fossil restoration expert who has been sent claws from unsuspecting buyers hoping to have their purchase improved with further preparation. After years of very few quality large claws being found and offered from the Sahara, suddenly monstrous "raptor claws" are emerging from dealers in Moroccan fossils as of recent times. That should be a red-flag alone. The workmanship of these claws is higher than seen in the past so be HIGHLY SUSPECT when purchasing such specimens. To have one of these large Moroccan claws examined in person by a third party of YOUR CHOOSING is your only insurance. This migration of highly skilled restoration work being done now at the source country of fossils is actually becoming more the norm with many varieties of 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.
Recent discoveries in China have shown feathered species existed. This has revolutionized paleontologists' view of what not only these creatures could have looked like when alive, but of possible plumage on other therapod dinosaurs. Dromaeosaurs share other characteristics with birds and theories now place these vicious predators as being the earliest ancestors of birds. Dromaeosaurs first evolved in the Early Cretaceous and survived right up to the end of the Late Cretaceous suggesting they were adaptable and capable hunters, surviving such a prolonged period yet, remaining virtually unchanged in overall design.
FOSSIL DINOSAUR 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!!! 1.5" long on the dorsal curve SOLD DC6-006 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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The
dromaeosaurs are popularly known (especially in the movie "Jurassic
Park") as "raptors", a group of fascinating extinct
creatures. Raptors ranged in size from the size of a small dog
on
up to 30 feet long! They are therapods that possessed specialized
features: a well-developed slashing talon on their second toe, a stiffened
tail, and large grasping hands.
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. 