9" Fossil Theropod (Spinosaurus?) Dorsal Vertebra - Kem Kem Beds

Fossil Theropod (Spinosaurus?) Dorsal Vertebra - Kem Kem Beds #227484

This is a 9" tall, fossil vertebra of a theropod (likely Spinosaurus) from the Kem Kem Beds of Morocco. There are two large theropods known from the Kem Kem Beds, Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus. Both have very similar anatomy at the bone level, though Spinosaurus is known for its massive sail-like dorsal structure. The size of the base of the spinous process indicates that this is very likely a dorsal vertebra of Spinosaurus.

There is some gap fill restoration between the centrum and processes, making up most of the neural canal. Because of this, I believe this specimen to be a composite. The remaining bone superior to the centrum is natural bone with spots of crack repair and minor gap fill restoration.

Comes with a display stand.

The Kem Kem Group is famous for yielding a diverse Late Cretaceous vertebrate assemblage, including fish, reptiles, and dinosaurs such as Spinosaurus. These fossils are found in a thin bed that outcrops around the edge of a large plateau near Taouz, Morocco. Local miners collect these fossils by digging narrow tunnels by hand into this plateau, following the layer.

A paper on this assemblage can be found at: Vertebrate assemblages from the early Late Cretaceous of southeastern Morocco: An overview

One of the tunnels dug into the Kem Kem beds by local miners following the productive fossil beds.

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