1197 - Gem Grade Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Dinosaur Tooth

Scientific name: Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, Stromer 1915

Location: Taouz, Errachidia Province, South Morocco

Geological Formation: Ifezouane Formation, Red Sandstone Beds, KemKem Basin

Age: Upper Cretaceous, Cenomanian stage, (~96 Million Years)

Size (long): 8,4 cm 

REF.: #1197

DESCRIPTION:
Outstanding specimen. The enamel color is astonishing. Not restored or glued.

The teeth with strong and vivid fossilization colors such as red, orange and black come from small paleochannels composed by thin layers, in the intermediate and upper stratigraphic levels (Red Sandstone Beds), from the Aoufous and Ifezouane Formations (Kem Kem Basin, South of Morocco). The lithology of this body of sediment is characterized by the dominance of sandstones (also known as arenites) and fluvial gravel, of siliceous nature. Sometimes large concentrations of iron oxide are present, and then a small sample of that is usually present at the base of the tooth.

These mineralizations are responsible for the wide range of beautiful reddish color tones, slowly drawn during millions of years via fossil-diagenetic processes. The complicated sedimentarian architecture of the layers where most large vertebrates are found makes the excavation methodology a real challenge. Sometimes the local miners have to excavate long tunnels that follow the distribution of the fossiliferous layer.