Raistlin Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 I am sure I am not the only one to see them. If you have not seen them search fossils under rocks and minerals on ebay and one is sure to show up. I would post a link to one but I am not sure that is allowed. The ones I am talking about are always from China. Anyway my question is are they real? They look like a crabs carapace was placed in cement along with some shells and stuff. I have seen them range in price last year for a around $10 to this year ranging from $30 - $100+. RobertSoutheast, MO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Pretty dubious... "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...
CH4ShotCaller Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Saw one several months ago, looked like a modern crab with legs situated perfectly, raised at each knuckle, more like a spider, and appeared to have been spray painted with wall texture. It was on for a day and sold. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. -Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 It's a real shame that there are so many fraudulent fossils being "constructed" these days to be sold to unsuspecting and unaware purchasers. It makes it scary to buy something off the internet unless it can be closely scrutinized in person. Many times if it looks to good to be true, it probably is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilshale Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Are you talking about these Galene sp. from the Pliocene of Yangjiang, Prov. Guangdong? I agree, they look like fakes, but they are not - at least not the ones I got. Thomas Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raistlin Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 I sent you a link to one like I am talking about. You can find a lot of them just like it. RobertSoutheast, MO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilshale Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 I sent you a link to one like I am talking about. You can find a lot of them just like it. Right now I don't have a picture in my files, but Sinopaleos (Henry) posted one of his crabs: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/19875-henrys-collection/page-14?hl=galene#entry294421 Thomas Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raistlin Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 So they are real then? They look painted and in cement. I am impressed with the price then. They must be fairly common. I also thought that selling fossils in China was illegal? RobertSoutheast, MO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilshale Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 (edited) Selling fossils is legal - only exporting fossils is illegal. But Chinese people (and laws) are very flexible - there is always a way and regulations are somehow debatable / negotiable. Some fossils like Lycoptera davidii from Liaoning and Keichousaurus hui from Guizhou are sold to the thousands - and nobody really cares. Of course if you try to smuggle something really rare, you might get into deep trouble (and rightly so!) Edited December 18, 2013 by oilshale Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raistlin Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 Well I might give a one a shot if I see the right price on it, at worst it can make a paper weight. Just out of curiosity though is there a way to tell the real matrix from concrete? Does one bubble with vinegar or can you tell under a microscope? I would love to have a Keichousaurus but those thing definitely worry me that many of those are fake. RobertSoutheast, MO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 (edited) Hi Raistlin, as Oilshale says, these fossils are true, they are Galene bispinosa, but I'm sure that they are so old as Pliocene, I have not confidence on it but I think that is not older than Holocene or Pleistocene. If Oilshale have some data I will be happy to get it. Edited December 18, 2013 by MB http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raistlin Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 Thanks for the input. I have seen them and often thought "yeah right they look faked". But then I keep seeing them and start to get curious and decided to ask. I guess the biggest reason for my skepticism was the idea that exporting (I said selling in an earlier post but meant exporting) of fossils was illegal as well as the idea that I have heard so much bad news about China fossils being faked. I am definitely going to give one a shot just to see. Not one that is $100 or so mind you I don't have that kind of cash to throw away. RobertSoutheast, MO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CH4ShotCaller Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I reviewed all of the crab, appears to be genuine. The more suspicious item that I witnessed years ago, honestly looked like a small recent crab carapace glued to the rubber molded cast of a spider from a Creepy Crawler children's toy. Too symmetrical and looked like the head of that actor that crawled away from that 80's movie called the 'Thing'. LOL These present items really look good to me, especially any from Washington State. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. -Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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