Velociraptor Slashing & Killing Claw (replica)

3.75 Inches Around the Curve 

2nd Toe of Hind Foot

Made of Solid Resin

This is a replica Velociraptor Slashing & Killing Claw, 3.75 inches around the curve. It would be found on 2nd Toe of Hind Foot. Velociraptor was one of the smallest of the raptors (The original movie Jurassic Park actually featured the larger raptor Utahraptor but called them Velociraptors. After many complaints from viewers and paleontologists they just called them raptors in subsequent movies). However, Velociraptor was no less fierce. Velociraptor lived approximately 75 to 71 million years ago during the latter part of the Cretaceous Period. Two species are currently recognized. The type species is V. mongoliensis; fossils of this species have been discovered in Mongolia. A second species, V. osmolskae, was named in 2008 for skull material from Inner Mongolia, China. A adult Velociraptor was up to 2.07 m (6.8 ft) long, 0.5 m (1.6 ft) high at the hip and weighing up to 15 kg (33 lb). The skull, which grew up to 25 cm (9.8 in) long, was uniquely up-curved, concave on the upper surface and convex on the lower. The jaws were lined with 26?28 widely spaced teeth on each side, each more strongly serrated on the back edge than the front. Paleontologists believe all raptors may have hunted in packs, making any attack an encounter with death. This offering is a cast from an authentic Velociraptor specimen. An authentic or real Velociraptor claw if you could find one would cost many hundreds of dollars.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FOSSIL REPLICAS By definition authentic fossils are unique one-of-a-kind occurrences. No two fossils are identical. In fact, many fossils are the one and only known specimen of a particular genus or species. With only one specimen available for study how do paleontologist around the world study such rare and often very fragile specimens? One answer to that question is through replicas cast directly from the original fossil. This way many exact copies can be made and distributed for research and museum display all over the world. Thus, fossils replicas are an important scientific tool. In some cases, a replica of a fossil lost or destroyed may be the only remaining evidence of the original fossil. Replicas allow direct study of otherwise unattainable specimens. Replicas allow the public to see, enjoy and learn about specimens that otherwise might be locked away in some storage cabinet or vault. For example, there is only one original Archaeopteryx specimen known as the Berlin specimen and that original is kept in a vault in Germany. However, nearly every museum in the world displays a replica of this important fossil. Another example is the Tyrannosaurus rex known as Sue? the most complete specimen ever found. There is only one original, but replicas are in museums all over the world. The importance of replicas in paleontology and education cannot be overstated.