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LARGE
FINEST QUALITY RUTIODON TRIASSIC PHYTOSAUR TOOTH FROM RARE LOCATION
Petrified Forest Formation - Near Adamana, Arizona, U.S.A.
LATE TRIASSIC (ADAMANIAN AGE) : 227 -
221
million years ago This
is an impeccable top grade example of a RARE and VERY LARGE fossil tooth
of a type PHYTOSAUR known as RUTIODON. It is a rare and unique offer not only because Rutiodon
is not a well-known prehistoric reptile but also because of its dating
to the Triassic Period
where few vertebrate fossils are ever available for public sale.
This is a tooth from a very old collection we acquired many years ago. Of all the Rutiodon specimens we will ever offer, this small, exclusive
lot of fossil teeth will likely be remembered as the rarest. Their
legal provenance from the Petrified Forest Formation coupled with their
extraordinary size and preservation qualify for a place in any museum or
world-class private collection. Collected by a geologist surveying
a private ranchland (hence their legality), these Rutiodon teeth were a
rare discovery likely to not ever be repeated.
This
is a superb example from the side of the jaw where the teeth served to
cut flesh. It is wide, thick and very strong to be able to sustain
severe punishment. Serrations are present and well-defined with
immaculate preservation. The enamel is unbelievable and intact
with a natural luster and a beautiful golden brown hue with fine grain. The tooth is INTACT
with NO REPAIR
and NO RESTORATION.
This tooth is exactly as
found and
rare in
this size.
Rutiodon was a member of
the Angistorhininae group of phytosaurs and was a large, stout and
powerful reptile of the Triassic. Phytosaurs
are anything but what their name suggests. When the first phytosaur
was discovered, there were petrified mud fillings in the jaw that were
misidentified as herbivore teeth. Initially, it was mistakenly
thought that these were plant-eating reptiles, hence the name. That
could not be further from the truth. The name has stuck,
however. A more accurate name has been applied called
"Parasuchia" meaning 'alongside crocodiles' for their
resemblance to the beasts but this name is seldom used. Phytosaurs
are not considered dinosaurs but were semi-aquatic reptiles.
With their heavily
armored bodies measuring up to 16 feet in length and brandishing a slender
snout full of razor sharp teeth, it is no doubt these creatures were the
dominant predators in the lakes, rivers and swamps of the northern
hemisphere during their time.
SUPER RARE - FINEST
POSSIBLE QUALITY, LARGEST SIZE - JUST A SUPREME GRADE SPECIMEN ALL
AROUND!!! 1"
in length
$195
DT12-038 INCLUDES
DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only
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