Product Description
Collected over a decade ago, to this day, we have yet to see another specimen like this. It is a huge and unusually long, gracile claw from an enormous pterosaur, most likely Siroccopteryx. It is possible that it comes from a new, large species not yet scientifically described. With only limited scientific work published regarding North African pterosaurs, it is hard to say with certainty if this is a hand or foot claw but it is most likely a primary hand claw based on its unusual elongated profile. Pterosaur teeth exceeding 3 inches in length have been documented from the same site and deposit as where this claw was found so it is probable it would have come from a pterosaur with a wing-span approaching a small aircraft. A claw of this size would have been fitting for such a enormous pterodactyl.
The state of preservation on this specimen is impeccable. It is UNBROKEN and 100% AUTHENTIC AS FOUND. There are still some areas encrusted with silicified sand on the surface. Due to its fragile and INTACT nature, we opted to refrain from a total cleaning of this mineralization. The photos above show close-up anatomy and features. Highly recommended for the advanced collection and worthy of further study.
Pterosaur fossils were only recently attributed to a species in 1999 from the Cretaceous deposits of the southern border of Morocco. To date, the only pterosaur species named from Morocco is Siroccopteryx moroccoensis. With an estimated wingspan of nearly 20 feet, this anhanguerid pterodactyl ranks amongst the largest pterosaurs known. There have been comparisons of this creature to other anhanguerid species known from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil. Only jaw fragments and teeth have been discovered from Morocco and much has yet to be learned about this fascinating and giant flying reptile from prehistory.