From Triassic to Cretaceous through the Jurassic, our planet has been dominated by gigantic lizards : on the ground, the dinosaurs ; at sea, the plesiosaurs. The Upper Cretaceous precedes the final catastrophe that destroyed these frightening predators 65 million years ago. It is the time of the tyrannosaurs and of the elasmosaurs.
The elasmosaurs, meaning lizard-ribbon, could reach 14 meters, more than half of that length for the neck articulated on 70 vertebrae which served as a rudder to direct the beast at full speed onto its prey.
In 2011 a new species of elasmosaur is described in Morocco from two samples : a crushed skull and its mandible, and a complete mandible. It receives the name of zarafasaura, the lizard-giraffe.
The more recent excavation, also in Morocco, of the 75% complete fossil skeleton of an elasmosaur makes it possible to better understand this family of sea monsters. The newcomer has no blatant difference with the remains of the zarafasaura. It took two years for a team of specialists to prepare it. It is 8.4 m long and 3.70 m wide at the level of the central fins.
This unprecedented fossil will be sold by Binoche et Giquello in Paris (Drouot) on March 7, lot 51. The press release is issued by Drouot.
It is difficult to anticipate its price because of its rarity, its exceptional size and its significant conservation rate. I described previously in this column a Jurassic plesiosaur 3 m long announced as complete that sold for € 457K including premium at Sotheby's on October 5, 2010 and an ichthyosaur 5,40 m long 75% complete sold for € 180K including premium by Artcurial on April 7, 2009.
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The elasmosaurs, meaning lizard-ribbon, could reach 14 meters, more than half of that length for the neck articulated on 70 vertebrae which served as a rudder to direct the beast at full speed onto its prey.
In 2011 a new species of elasmosaur is described in Morocco from two samples : a crushed skull and its mandible, and a complete mandible. It receives the name of zarafasaura, the lizard-giraffe.
The more recent excavation, also in Morocco, of the 75% complete fossil skeleton of an elasmosaur makes it possible to better understand this family of sea monsters. The newcomer has no blatant difference with the remains of the zarafasaura. It took two years for a team of specialists to prepare it. It is 8.4 m long and 3.70 m wide at the level of the central fins.
This unprecedented fossil will be sold by Binoche et Giquello in Paris (Drouot) on March 7, lot 51. The press release is issued by Drouot.
It is difficult to anticipate its price because of its rarity, its exceptional size and its significant conservation rate. I described previously in this column a Jurassic plesiosaur 3 m long announced as complete that sold for € 457K including premium at Sotheby's on October 5, 2010 and an ichthyosaur 5,40 m long 75% complete sold for € 180K including premium by Artcurial on April 7, 2009.
withdrawn
Le gigantesque squelette apparenté à l’image du légendaire monstre du #LochNess exposé à @Drouot puis aux #enchères chez@AlexandreGique1 pic.twitter.com/GUlnciRALA
— AuctionLab (@byAuctionLab) January 25, 2017
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