Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0399
Enormous Fossil Mosasaur 'Marine Dinosaur' Skull
CRETACEOUS PERIOD, 67-65 MILLION YEARS B.P.
55 x 39 1/4 in. (164 kg, 140 x 100 cm).
An exceptionally large and spectacular fossil Mosasaurus anceps partial skull on matrix showing both sides of both upper and lower jaws, with dentition; the main skull compressed during fossilisation and thus fragmented but well preserved; the matrix set into a plaster surround.
Provenance
From the phosphate beds, Oved Zem, Morocco.
From an East Anglian, UK, collection.
Property of a Hounslow, S.W. London, gentleman collector.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12901-240277.
Footnotes
The Mosasaur is an extinct, large marine reptile dinosaur with a snake-like body, long snout and paddle-like limbs. found worldwide, they competed with other well-known sea predators of the Late Cretaceous, such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, for food, existing primarily on a diet of ammonoids, cuttlefish and fish.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Round Amethyst Crystal Geode with Polished Borders
Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,500
An unusual rounded geode section with stalagmite-like formations of calcite and quartz rising from the base, polished borders revealing the celadonite shell with some exterior basalt visible; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 17.5 kg total, 29.5 cm high including stand
From Artigas, Uruguay. Property of a London lady. -
Spanish Cuboid Pyrite Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Two substantial single cubes, a partial cub with attached crystals, and a twinned crystal. 175 grams total, 20-50mm
From Navajun, Sierra de Alcarama, La Rioja, Spain. Property of a Cheshire, UK, gentleman. -
Spherical Sedimentary Concretion
Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Naturally formed from hardened sediment with projecting porous, black stone nodules. 647 grams, 10.2 cm
Acquired on the UK art market in the 1990s. From the Dr Ince collection, N.W. London, UK.
A concretion is a compact mass of mineral matter, usually spherical or disc-shaped, and they vary greatly in size. They usually form early in the burial history of sediment, before the rest of the sediment has hardened into solid rock. Concretions occur when a considerable amount of cementing material collects locally around a nucleus, often organic (a leaf, tooth, a section of fossil or shell or dead matter) and commonly a marine invertebrate.
