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35.5" Fossil Mosasaur (Platecarpus) Vertebra String - South Dakota
This is a really cool 35.5" long string of 28 1/2 Platecarpus vertebrae that were found naturally associated with each other. There are five sections of 2+ vertebrae that are still attached to each other, with the remaining vertebrae being individuals. Some of the processes remained intact on these vertebrae.
The specimen was collected from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian Stage) aged Pierre Shale of South Dakota, making it approximately 81 million years old.
These vertebrae will be shipped with labels on their packaging so you can easily piece the string back together in articulated fashion, upon arrival.
An artist's reconstruction of Platecarpus. By Dmitry Bogdanov Creative Commons License
Platecarpus is an extinct aquatic lizard belonging to the mosasaur family. Fossils have been found in the United States as well as possible specimens in Belgium and Africa. It reached lengths of up to 14 feet long: half of that length was its tail alone. Platecarpus probably fed on fish, squid, and ammonites. Like other mosasaurs, it was initially thought to have swum in an eel-like fashion, though a recent study suggests that it swam more like modern sharks.
The genus attracted media attention in 2000, when a specimen unearthed in 1993 in South Dakota, United States, was interpreted as including a fossilized heart. There was much discussion over whether the remains were of a heart. Many scientists now doubt the identification of the object and the implications of such an identification.
The specimen was collected from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian Stage) aged Pierre Shale of South Dakota, making it approximately 81 million years old.
These vertebrae will be shipped with labels on their packaging so you can easily piece the string back together in articulated fashion, upon arrival.
An artist's reconstruction of Platecarpus. By Dmitry Bogdanov Creative Commons License
Platecarpus is an extinct aquatic lizard belonging to the mosasaur family. Fossils have been found in the United States as well as possible specimens in Belgium and Africa. It reached lengths of up to 14 feet long: half of that length was its tail alone. Platecarpus probably fed on fish, squid, and ammonites. Like other mosasaurs, it was initially thought to have swum in an eel-like fashion, though a recent study suggests that it swam more like modern sharks.
The genus attracted media attention in 2000, when a specimen unearthed in 1993 in South Dakota, United States, was interpreted as including a fossilized heart. There was much discussion over whether the remains were of a heart. Many scientists now doubt the identification of the object and the implications of such an identification.
SPECIES
Platecarpus sp.
LOCATION
South Dakota
FORMATION
Pierre Shale
SIZE
Entire String: 35.5" long
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#322098
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