CHOICE GRADE LARGE 2.2 INCH VELOCIRAPTORINE DROMAEOSAUR "RAPTOR" KILLING TOE CLAW FROM HELL CREEK

Hell Creek Formation - South Dakota, U.S.A.

LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD:  96 - 66 million years ago

This is an exceptionally large and very rare KILLING CLAW (pes) claw from a large Velociraptorine dromaeosaur "raptor" dinosaur.  Dinosaur claws are one of the most requested and in-demand fossil and KILLING CLAWS rank at the top for desirability.  No other  fossil has such promising investment potential or appreciable value as does a killing claw of a large dromaeosaur.  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 uncommon 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.  It was found complete with only cracks which necessitated stabilizing and filling but this required such a minute degree of work that such restoration is limited to only 1% (crack filling) and did not require any fabrication to the claw with respect to missing sections.  We performed all the work on this superb specimen ourselves in one of our on-site labs so we can say for certainty what has been done.  The claw was found buried in a former prehistoric stream bed so slight water wear resulted in the smooth surface.  Minute age fissures, grain and pore detail can be seen in the photos above, evidence only found in AUTHENTIC dinosaur claws.  This killing claw and the other killing claw we recently sold that was embedded in matrix are the only two large and fine raptor killing claws we have had in years.  After this one goes, it's is hard to say when or if we will find another but these kind of claws are extremely scarce to say the least.  If you have been holding out for a spectacular dromaeosaur killing claw of North American origin, this one comes with a very strong recommendation as it is unusually large and with an extremely minimal amount of preparation work.

Fossil claws of high quality preservation and size coming from the famous Hell Creek deposit in the United States are amongst the rarest and their famous provenance (home of T. rex) makes them the one of most requested locations for these famous fossils.  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 LARGE KILLING CLAW such as this would have placed this Velociraptorine raptor at a size equal or or greater than the famous Velociraptors found in China and featured on every Jurassic Park film.  

WARNING:  We are seeing more and more claws that have been expertly reconstructed and restored being sold as "no restoration or repair".  Very impressive dinosaur fossil claws occasionally come up on the market with extraordinarily high quality workmanship in fabrication and repair.  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 former supplier told them without their own ability to discern if any work was truly performed on the claw.  It is IMPERATIVE to ONLY deal with a very knowledgeable dealer who has considerable, 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.  Paleo Direct, Inc. operates fully-equipped preparation labs on-site and we perform all our own work on the majority of specimens we sell, enabling us to accurately disclose to our clients an assessment of the work performed. 

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. 

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.

EXTREMELY RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE AN INVESTMENT-GRADE LARGE KILLING CLAW OF A VELOCIRAPTORID

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!!!

2.2" long on the dorsal curve

SOLD     DC6-015     INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX     Actual Item - One Only

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

THE HELL CREEK FORMATION OF NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.

2895