This Specimen has been sold.
8.6" Fossil Shark (Hybodus) Dorsal Spine - Morocco
This is an 8.6" fossil, dorsal spine of a shark (Hybodus) from the Kem Kem Basin, Taouz, Morocco. This one is very large and in excellent condition with only a single crack repair. There is still some hard rock attached to areas of the spine that would quite difficult to remove without damaging it.
Hybodus was a small shark that grew up to 2 meters in length and was likely an opportunistic predator. It had a streamlined shape ideal for hunting down fast prey and two different types of teeth: sharp cutting teeth for catching prey and flatter grinding teeth for crushing. This combination may have been the key to Hybodus' success.
A paper on Hybodus spines can be found below.
Growth And Form of Finspines In Hybodont Sharks
A paper on Hybodus spines can be found below.
Growth And Form of Finspines In Hybodont Sharks
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
A paper on this assemblage can be found at: Vertebrate assemblages from the early Late Cretaceous of southeastern Morocco: An overview
SPECIES
Hybodus obtusus
LOCATION
Taouz, Kem Kem Basin, Morocco
FORMATION
Kem Kem Beds
SIZE
8.6" long
CATEGORY
ITEM
#145371
We guarantee the authenticity of all of our
specimens. Read more about our
Authenticity Guarantee.
specimens. Read more about our
Authenticity Guarantee.