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Sale 35
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Lot 821
One Of The Best Ever Mounted Psittacosaurus Dinosaurs. This 38" long male Psittacosaurus dinosaur is one of the very best ever offered for sale, being more than 90% real bone, as well as having the skull completely opened up with all of the stone matrix removed. The opened-up skull reveals the very delicate inner skull bones that are usually crushed or missing on most specimens. The very time-consuming and detailed skull work also resulted in the teeth being carefully prepared in place. The bone quality is also exceptional being a solid light tan color, not porous and brittle. What also adds to the esthetics and value of this fossil is the extraordinary mounting. This dinosaur has been mounted in a position based on the very latest information on what it may have looked like in life. It has three feet on the ground and is turning its head and lifting one leg as if it were startled. This was modeled on the latest full-body cast made by the Museum of Natural History in New York (a photocopy enclosed). Amazingly, the dinosaur has been mounted with no supporting rods visible, which has never been done before. A steel rod has been placed under the vertebrae from the head to the tail, as well as small wires meticulously inserted in the center of all the arms and leg bones. All of this detailed work has resulted in the most stunning and real-looking dinosaur specimen.
This important specimen of dinosaur is between 125-130 million years old and is so well preserved because it was buried in a massive volcanic eruption in Liaoning Province, China at that time. Psittacosaurus (parrot-beaked dinosaur) was the oldest of the Ceratopsians--horned dinosaurs. Psittacosaurus did not have large horns like its more famous relative Triceratops, but did possess a horned beak, horned Jugals (back of the upper skull) and in males such as this specimen, small horns on the top of their nose, just in front of their eyes. Only the males had these small horns which would have had limited defensive value and were probably just used ornamentally to attract a mate. Male specimens with horns are much rarer than female specimens. All of these horns would have been covered in keratin when the animals were alive, which would have made them bigger, ending in sharp points. The skull, tail, and all four limbs can easily be removed for study. This extraordinary dinosaur has complete real bone except for most of the ribs, a few teeth, and a small number of the small delicate neural spines. Add $500 for domesic shipping.
Estimated Value $13,500 - 20,000.
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| Realized $10,350 |
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