ASSOCIATED PLESIOSAUR AND DALPIAZIA SAWFISH TEETH IN MATRIX - Khouribga, Morocco

LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD:  96 - 66 million years ago

This is a rather rare associated fossil of two teeth of creatures that lived together but are seldom found in association.  There is a beautiful plesiosaur tooth laying on its original matrix situated liked crossed swords just beneath an exceedingly rare sawfish rostral tooth of the extinct Dalpiazia stromeri saw shark.  Any specimen of this bizarre ancient creature, even single teeth, are very rare from this site and there are VERY few specimens we have collected.  What makes this an especially nice example is that is it found right alongside a fine quality plesiosaur tooth.  Both teeth show some repair but are complete and without any fabrication or filling.  

Related to the modern day sawfish, the Dalpiazia had a long, hard shovel-shaped snout lined on both sides with these barbed teeth.  Sawfish are the most fascinating members of the shark and ray family

Sawfishes are very lethargic animals, spending much of their day nestled in the muddy sea/river floor. At night, they scull slowly through the shallows, using their sensitive saw to find buried prey, which are then raked from the sediment to be consumed. It is useful to view the sawfishes' unique rostrum like a metal detector combined with a clam rake.

If small fishes, like mullet, swim past a hungry sawfish, this great ray will launch from the bottom, slashing its toothy weapon rapidly side to side. Gouged by the snout's awl-shaped teeth, injured fishes tumble to the sea floor, now immobilized and easy to catch!

Apart from its use in finding and disabling prey, the toothy rostrum is also a weapon of defense. When threatened, sawfishes will smack this jagged sword against attackers, whether they be sharks or fishermen. Generally, though, sawfishes are very gentle animals, preferring to lie quietly, undisturbed.

FIRST ASSOCIATED SPECIMEN OF THESE TWO CREATURES WE HAVE OFFERED!

Plesiosaur tooth is tooth 2" in length on the curve, sawfish tooth is 1.45" in length

SOLD     MV1102     Actual Item - One Only

SAWFISH

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