Lot 671
An Aquatic Reptile - Ichthyosaurus communis. For those collectors who perfer not to spend many thousands of dollars needed to purchase an entire dinosaur, here is a 7 x 5 in. skull from the very important 127 million year dinosaur, Psittacosaurus (which translates to parrot lizard). It is important because it was the earliest dinosaur to show the beaked face of the ceratopsians, such as its more famous ancestor, Triceratops. One specimen of Psittacosaurus had weird barbs on its tail, somewhat like a porcupine.
This nearly complete brown skull is from the same specimen as the Psittacosaurus hand also offered in this sale. It was found in the famous volcanic layer near Liaoning northern China. Many strange dinosaurs have been excavated in Liaoning, some with feathers. The parrot-like beak, large eyes, fenestrae (which grew in later ceratopsians to become large frills in the back of the skull), and horn-like bones at the ends of its cheeks, all are very clear on this highly desirable specimen.
Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,950.
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| Realized $863 |
