Seattleguy Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Ok, silly question. I bought a north sea fossil half horse jaw off eBay. This is my first north sea fossil, it was sold from a seller who had other listings for rhino teeth and mammoth teeth/bones . I'm just struck on how there is absolutely no mineralization , feels like it could've been alive 5 years ago. Is this the way north sea fossils usually feel? If so, how can you spot fakes ?(if it isn't an obvious mammoth or rhino tooth) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 not likely to be a lot of fake horse teeth out there. and most people would prefer fossils from other locations than the north sea, so there's no reason for someone to claim a fossil is from the north sea if it isn't. if you're asking how you can tell if it's really a fossil or not, there's really not a good verbal way to describe to you all the little indications one way or the other. it really kind of comes from just seeing large numbers of teeth, both fossil and recent, from different areas. and even then, some specimens are sort of "on the fence" and you aren't sure, unless you're just one of those people who always kinda sure for some reason. post some pictures of your new specimen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattleguy Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Its a pretty cool looking bone. Juvenile with 5 molars, you can see the new set just under some of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 It's very attractive! All I have heard about North Sea fossils is that they don't age well once back on dry land; don't know whether that's from a lack of mineralization, the effects of salt invasion, or maybe even both. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 The north sea fossils I have seen are all pretty lightweight. They have not been permineralized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahuijsmans Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 The north sea fossils I have seen are all pretty lightweight. They have not been permineralized. I live just 30 mins from the north sea and are very familliar with these fossils. This one seems real to me, very nice piece. Reason fossils don't do well on dry land is because people don't desalinize them properly. You need to put them in a large quantity of freshwater for days, each day replenishing the freshwater so the salt is extracted from the bones... After a few weeks you have a good fossil ready to be kept on the dry for ages to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 lnk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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