Lot 1217
Three Chinese Water Dragons On One Matrix. This is an extremely rare museum quality 23x14½" solft tuffaceous sandstone slab containing a family of three nearly complete Sinohydrosaurs (also known as Hyphalosaurus). Sinohydrosaurus translates to Chinese water reptile and they are 130-140 million years old from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China. Like the more famous feathered dinosaurs, they too were buried in the massive volcanic eruptions that occurred several times in the Liaoning area of Northeastern China. This extraordinary fossil plate contains three nearly complete animals: two adults, 24" and 23½" long, intertwined in the moment they were buried more than 130 million years ago, along with a 4½" baby Sinohydrosaur that was swimming alongside the two parents. These specimens are virtually complete with excellent tiny detail, including the delicate ribs and gastralia, small pointed teeth on the adults and excellent skulls. Some of the legs are disarticulated with some missing bones, but the tails are complete except at the very end of the baby. All of the Sinohydrosaurs are light to dark brown on a cream-colored matrix. Being composed of soft volcanic ash, the stone is very soft and brittle and is nearly impossible to remove without breaking apart. The inevitable cracks in the matrix have been professionally smoothed over with gypsum to give the matrix a neice even appearance. Also, the matrix has been backed to give it more stability. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a family of Sinohydrosaurs that were quickly buried under volcanic ash, thus preserving the social family behavior of Sinohydrosaurs as the adults cared for their young. Add $75 for domestic shipping.
Estimated Value $2,400 - 2,800.
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