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_900x900.jpg "Natural History - Cretaceous Fossil Reef Shark")
_200x200.jpg "Natural History - Cretaceous Fossil Reef Shark")
.jpg "Natural History - Cretaceous Fossil Reef Shark")
LOT 0442
Natural History - Cretaceous Fossil Reef Shark
LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD, CIRCA 96-95 MILLION YEARS B.P.
32 in. (26 3/4 x 50 1/4 in.) (40.1 kg total, shark: 81 cm (68 x 127.5 cm)).
A rare complete example of Paratriakis curtirostris within micritic matrix, displaying the spine, fins and tail with visible fin supports; the head with a number of teeth in situ; mounted in a custom-made wooden frame with a textured insert.
ProvenanceFound Haqel, Lebanon.
Ex Fine Fossils, UK.
From the private collection of Mr J.G., a company executive.
Studied by the University of Manchester, UK.
Accompanied by an original signed handwritten note from Sir David Attenborough, 7 November 2022, which reads 'Dear J[ ] G[ ], You are indeed lucky to have such a spectacular fossil. Best wishes, David Attenborough'.
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Fine Fossils with certificate no.COLL011.
Accompanied by a detailed geological report by Paul Goodrich.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12091-214455.
Paratriakis curtirostris was a resident in the shallows of the Tethys Ocean, which separated Africa, Europe, Indo-Australia and Asia. The genus is now extinct, but has a relative in the modern-day dogfish Triakis.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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:
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Natural History - Woolly Mammoth Bone Bead Necklace String
Devensian Period, 110,000-12,000 years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Restrung using recently polished Mammuthus primigenius bone beads. 163 grams, 60 cm long
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Natural History - Fossil Crab
Eocene Period, circa 50 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
A rare Harpactocacinus punctatus crab on a matrix. 849 grams, 13.4 cm
From Verona, Italy. Acquired 1950s-1960s. From an old Bristol, UK, palaeontological collection. -
Natural History - Campo Del Cielo Iron Meteorite
Fell 6000-5000 years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
An iron Campo Del Cielo (IAB) meteorite. 25 grams, 30.5 mm
From Chaco Province, Argentina, found 1576. From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.
A crater field of roughly 26 craters was found in the vicinity of this crater, which is estimated to date to 4-5 thousand years BP. The age of the meteorite itself is thought to be c.4.5 billion years, formed as part of the development of this solar system. The largest two fragments, the 30.8 ton Gancedo and 28.8 ton El Chaco, are among the heaviest meteorite masses ever recovered on Earth. In 1576, the governor of a province in Northern Argentina commissioned the military to search for a large mass of iron, which it was believed the local people claimed had fallen from the sky and which they used for their weapon production. The expedition discovered a large mass of metal which was assumed to be an iron mine and brought back a few samples, which were described as being of unusual purity. Following the legends, in 1774 Don Bartolomé Francisco de Maguna rediscovered the iron mass. He himself did not believe that the stone had fallen from the sky and assumed that it had formed by a volcanic eruption. However, he sent the samples to the Royal Society of London. In 1990 it became protected by law.
