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3.1" Polished Dinosaur Bone Slab - Boulahfa, Morocco
This is a 3.1" wide slab of dinosaur bone that has been polished on one side to expose the well defined inner cell structure. The bone was collected from the El Mers Group (El Mers I Formation) in the Middle Atlas Mountains near Boulahfa, Morocco.
It comes with an acrylic display stand.
It comes with an acrylic display stand.
The El Mers Group is a group of geologic deposits with a stratigraphic range of approximately 164 to 168 million years (Bathonian to Callovian), located near Boulahfa, Morocco. It is divided into three formations know as El Mers I, II, and III. The El Mers III formation bears the youngest fossils (~164 million years). The group has produced a good amount of dinosaur material, including indeterminate theropod (Allosauridae indet. & Megalosauridae? indet.), sauropod (Cetiosaurus mogrebiensis), stegosaur (Adratiklit boulahfa), the ichnofossil "Selenichnites" (crescent-shaped impressions), indeterminate teleosauroid (Machimosauridae indet.) material, and a very interesting ankylosaur (Spicomellus afer) specimen.
The ankylosaur (Spicomellus afer gen. et sp. nov.) material found in this deposit appears to represent the earliest-known ankylosaur, and the first to be named from Africa. It would have lived during the time of the Laurasian and Gondwanan continents, split by an ocean called Tethys. Prior to the discovery of this unusual ankylosaur bone, ankylosauria were almost entirely restricted to Laurasian continents. This find filled an important gap in dinosaur evolution and suggests strongly that ankylosaurs had a global distribution.
The specimen is a T-shaped dorsal rib bone featuring multiple spikes along the dorsal surface. Strangely enough, the spikes are naturally fused to the rib, indicating more morphological diversity of armored dinosaurs during their early evolution than previously thought. This bizarre fusing is confusing, considering structures like that would seemingly hinder the growth and movement of muscles. Thanks to the discovery, continued excavation of this deposit will provide a better understanding of Spicomellus, and hopefully yield more interesting fossil discoveries.
The ankylosaur (Spicomellus afer gen. et sp. nov.) material found in this deposit appears to represent the earliest-known ankylosaur, and the first to be named from Africa. It would have lived during the time of the Laurasian and Gondwanan continents, split by an ocean called Tethys. Prior to the discovery of this unusual ankylosaur bone, ankylosauria were almost entirely restricted to Laurasian continents. This find filled an important gap in dinosaur evolution and suggests strongly that ankylosaurs had a global distribution.
The specimen is a T-shaped dorsal rib bone featuring multiple spikes along the dorsal surface. Strangely enough, the spikes are naturally fused to the rib, indicating more morphological diversity of armored dinosaurs during their early evolution than previously thought. This bizarre fusing is confusing, considering structures like that would seemingly hinder the growth and movement of muscles. Thanks to the discovery, continued excavation of this deposit will provide a better understanding of Spicomellus, and hopefully yield more interesting fossil discoveries.
SPECIES
Unidentified
LOCATION
Middle Atlas Mountains, Near Boulahfa, Morocco
FORMATION
El Mers Group (El Mers Formation I)
SIZE
3.1 x 1.6", .5" thick
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#252594
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