Fossil Preparation - Large vertebrae from a long-necked sauropod dinosaur (125 million years ago)

[@LordTrilobite]

This isn't any type of vertebra. It's actually part of a dinosaur braincase. Many of the nerve openings are quite visible even before prepping. Openings V, VII, auditory foramen, XI and XII are all visible. Looks like it's most likely some type of ornithopod. Perhaps Iguanodon. Very nice specimen and great prepping!

[@PalaeoArt]

Thanks so much for this perspective. I'd done so much head scratching on this piece as I'd placed it firmly into the 'partial cervical vert' category without considering it being the occipital condyle. I've now looked up comparative material references and you are spot on - highly likely to be Iguanodontid. Very happy you opened my eyes more clearly to this. Enormous thanks LordTrilobite!

[@iainking4256]

Hi mate well all I can say is beautiful work there, it always depresses me a bit when I see that the specimen is only half its original size but that’s fossils for you. You have done a wonderful job there, and even holding 40% of the original bone must be a real blast. Thanks again looking forward to you next prep. Cheers from the land down under

[@PalaeoArt]

Thanks Iain. Glad you liked this one. More to come.

[@maciej2819]

it was a wonderful job you definitely put in a lot of work i appreciate your skills i hope for more films

[@PalaeoArt]

Thanks very much. Yes, this was many hours of work but it was well worth it. More vids to come!

[@peterburridge9346]

Just found your channel I really enjoyed watching your videos I find them relaxing and like a lot of people here we all appreciate what you do. Do you have your own fossil collection if so it would be nice to see

[@alexandermelchers1497]

Great piece, this. Beautiful to see such an excellently preserved, large vertebra be revealed, even if it is incomplete! Spectacular too, to see it in all of its three-dimensions... On another note, and may be a bit of an unusual request, but: I'd be really interested in seeing a practical video showing a pyrite stabilizer (such as Kranz's pyrite stabilizer or ZOIC PalaeoTech's pyrite stop) being used. Any chance of you doing a video like this, or would you know of any out there?

[@RPT-ss4uc]

So satisfying to watch. Definitely a braincase like lordtrilobite said. Agreed its definitely an iguanodontian. I am actually trying to scan ornithopod braincases for a large scale study so in case you want to know more about it, it may be a valuable point of data for me and in return i provide you a copy of its brain. 😉

[@hamishstewart5324]

How did you find this beauty?

[@PalaeoArt]

I can’t claim to have found this one personally. This was found my a local collector on the beaches on the south side of the Isle of Wight, England.