What animal is this fossil of?

[Wellnhoferia]

What animal is this fossil of in this ebay listing?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/huge-fossilized-vertebrae-Dredged-up-off-coast-of-Eastern-Shore-Whale-Dinosaur-/261826720443?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cf616b2bb

[Newt]

I vote whale. The ends of the centrum are flat (amphiplatyan or acoelous condition), which is characteristic of mammals. I very much doubt it is fossilized.

You can see that there is a very small neural arch (in photo 2), meaning it comes from near the end of the tail where the spinal cord is attenuated. 

[Wellnhoferia]

Thanks, do you also know what this fossil/bone is of?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261826734865?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I hazard a guess that it's the broken off tip of a mammoth/mastodon tusk but I could be completely wrong

[Newt]

It does look tusk-like... I'm not sure if fossil walruses are known from the US east coast; if so, they are also a possible candidate.

[Wellnhoferia]

Thanks very much yet again, but what jawbone does this dinosaur belong to?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LARGE-FOSSIL-CERATOSAURUS-DINOSAUR-JAWBONE-/261821673951?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=xpZjujwon2v40GneHmzoa1jZ7o4%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

[DinoLord]

Honestly, without specific locale information it's pretty hard to say. However it does look more like a mammal jaw to me based on what's left of the tooth sockets.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

The tusk to me at least does not appear to be a tush..it almost looks like some form of structure covered in a keratin type sheaf. Tusks generally have rings , much like growth rings in wood. It could be a preservation aspect that makes it look different , but outwardly it does not resemble either of the mammoth tusks I have worked with.

[SBell]

Thejaw isfrom a mammal--you can see the two fossae for a single large molar; the one distal is a very characteristic m3 shape. Depending on age and location, sine the teeth are completely broken away, it could be brontothere, mastodon, rhino, or any other larger herbivore.

Not a dinosaur, not all that identifiable, and I would save your money until one with teeth actually show up.

[Dinoguy2]

That looks like an elephant jaw bone. Is it even a fossil?

The tusk looks like an eroded piece of rib.

[Wellnhoferia]

Just a question but do you think this fossil is fake or is it real?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221634238548?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[Dinoguy2]

Just a question but do you think this fossil is fake or is it real?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221634238548?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Could be partly real, especially the teeth. Morocco is infamous for finding scattered mosasaur teeth end setting them in fake plaster jaws and fake matrix to increase the price.

[DinoLord]

I'd assume only the teeth are real. Fake Moroccan mosasaur jaws are very common; they take a random piece of bone along with some (relatively cheap) mosasaur teeth and set them in a fake sandstone matrix. Real matrix from the Moroccan phosphate beds will have some other colors like greens and purples, not just a plain sandy appearance.

[SBell]

I'd assume only the teeth are real. Fake Moroccan mosasaur jaws are very common; they take a random piece of bone along with some (relatively cheap) mosasaur teeth and set them in a fake sandstone matrix. Real matrix from the Moroccan phosphate beds will have some other colors like greens and purples, not just a plain sandy appearance.

There's several issues. First, Halisaurus has not been found in Morocco from what I found (admittedly, my search was cursory). Second, the auction claims that the fossil is 8'=8 feet long, when Halisaurus tends to be fairly small, like 8-10 feet.

So either the auction is loaded with errors for a reason, or the seller is fairly incompetent and you'd be better off finding fossils from someone that knows what they're doing.

Plus, that jaw (dentary) just doesn't look quite right.

[Wellnhoferia]

Thank you very much but what about these jaws, do you think they are real or fake?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HUGE-MOSASAUR-JAW-BONE-Contains-10-teeth-22-INCHES-LONG-/251882489995?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa55dc88b

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOSSIL-Marine-MONSTER-Reptile-Mosasaur-JAW-MASSIVE-GENUINE-/400891234364?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5d56fac83c

[DinoLord]

Those also look fake. I presume actual mosasaur skull material would be very expensive. In the future, if you are indeed looking to purchase higher end specimens I would suggest finding a reputable dealer who will readily supply information on collection locales, etc.

[DinoToyForum]

Yes, almost all of the 'mosasaur jaws' from Morocco on Ebay are artificially arranged isolated teeth and bone fragments mounted in artificial sandstone blocks. The teeth are usually real, and the fragments of bone too, if that makes a difference.

[SBell]

Those also look fake. I presume actual mosasaur skull material would be very expensive. In the future, if you are indeed looking to purchase higher end specimens I would suggest finding a reputable dealer who will readily supply information on collection locales, etc.

Agreed. If you can't get the exact collection data--stratum, locality, date of collection--then there are too many unknowns. There are several reputable dealers online (inasmuch as they can be) although I couldn't tell you any, as I don't buy fossils. I would suggest avoiding bulk sellers on auction sites.

[Wellnhoferia]

Thank you very much yet again, but sorry about this, what do you think of this one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201321942694?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[Tyto_Theropod]

Thank you very much yet again, but sorry about this, what do you think of this one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201321942694?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Kem Kem fossils can often be found on the market, but as far I know no Titanosaurs are known from this formation. Also, it does look like a Kem Kem fossil, but it could just as easily  be from a similar 'Red Beds' locale.

Those also look fake. I presume actual mosasaur skull material would be very expensive. In the future, if you are indeed looking to purchase higher end specimens I would suggest finding a reputable dealer who will readily supply information on collection locales, etc.

Agreed. If you can't get the exact collection data--stratum, locality, date of collection--then there are too many unknowns. There are several reputable dealers online (inasmuch as they can be) although I couldn't tell you any, as I don't buy fossils. I would suggest avoiding bulk sellers on auction sites.

I agree. Buying fossils off ebay is a bad idea. I have started a thread specifically for fossil collecting, and in my first post I included some recommendations of fossil dealers. Hope this helps.

http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=3141.0

[SBell]

Thank you very much yet again, but sorry about this, what do you think of this one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201321942694?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I think the terrible spelling should be a tip off. As always, a professional will present themselves well.

One big flag, to me, is that they don't say what the bone is supposed to be (as in, what body part?). And in some of those pictures, it barely looks, to my eye, like actual bone.