Fossil identification

13. Dinosaur fakes

Convincing specimens of raptor dinosaurs occasionally find their way to market but unfortunately are (generally) little more than creative displays of a thin matrix with bones carved or placed to replicate the highly desired fossils.

The most prolific dinosaur genus available to collectors is that of the Psittacosaur herbivore.

Being the most numerous Asian dinosaur of its time and region, Psittacosaurs were highly populous, successful and social.

Large numbers have been excavated with the quantity and quality of these fossils being noteworthy for scientific study and collector purchase.

Many institutions, museums have at least one Psittacosaur displayed or archived and the collector market is well served.

The numbers discovered and quality of preservation means there is little to be gained from producing total faked specimens – indeed to fake a whole skeleton (free of matrix) would be pointless.

It should be realised that many Psittacosaurs for sale preserved upon a matrix bed, will have had some degree of bone repositioning or replacement – more usually it is a matter of articulating the bones correctly from their disarticulated displacement.

Being herbivores, Psittacosaurs did not have carnivorous teeth or claws (so prized by collectors) – hence there is no demand to artificially produce these – we can be confident that such preserved will be (for the most part) genuine, although it has been known for teeth to have been painted onto the matrix infill within the mouth.

14. The fossil matrix

Creating matrix free bones of the species is extraordinarily difficult (let alone the skull) and is virtually unheard of – more readily an incomplete or very damaged skull can be repaired using matrix to fill gaps or sometimes, filling with bone from another body part.

As with every other vertebrate fossil (as previously mentioned), it must be expected that compositing of the skeleton is unavoidable and necessary to present a complete whole specimen.

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