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EXTREMELY RARE DROMAEOSAUR " RAPTOR " FOSSIL THORACIC VERTEBRA BONE IN RARE PRESERVATION Continental Red Beds - South Morocco LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD: 96 - 66 million years ago Without a doubt, dromaeosaur 'raptor' fossils are amongst the most sought-after fossil with all dinosaur fossil collectors regardless of how advanced they are. Since the blockbuster film series 'Jurassic Park' which immortalized these creatures, as well as new studies that showed they could have been highly advanced and intelligent predators, collectors place a great demand on wanting a fine quality fossil of these extinct hunters of the Cretaceous. While teeth are available for a reasonable price, claws and fossils of their fragile bones, are very uncommon and fine quality specimens of these kinds of fossils are amongst the rarest of all dinosaur fossils. This is a spectacular opportunity to acquire an EXTREMELY RARE dromaeosaur thoracic vertebra in a nearly complete condition that we have never encountered before. Caudal vertebra are more commonly found because they are the most durable of dromaeosaur vertebrae but the fragile and elaborate, small thoracic vertebrae are nearly impossible to find because like many dromaeosaur bones, they are very fragile, mostly hollow and seldom survive millions of years of burial and the elements. Here you see an amazing gem of a specimen with three of its four articulating processes. There is some repair on the processes but never do you find this anatomy intact on these vertebrae. Even centrums of dromaeosaur thoracic vertebrae are rare. The dark blood red color and dense, shiny well-mineralized surface of the bone is remarkable. As an added aesthetic, the ends of the centrum are a lighter white in color which accentuates the geometry of this rare fossil. The only one we have ever had like this and found 10 years ago when deposits yielded much better specimens than they do today due to depletion. NO FABRICATION.
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. THE FINEST AND MOST COMPLETE DROMAEOSAUR VERTEBRA WE HAVE SEEN - RARELY SEEN PROCESSES NEARLY COMPLETE 1" in length overall $595 DB6-004 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
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Velociraptor courtesy of MINEO SHIRAISHI and used with permission. This image is protected by copyright. |
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The
dromaeosaurs are popularly known (from 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. 