What is covered in Misidentified Species Guide?

Common fossils labeled as rare: Spinosaurus as T-Rex, Mosasaur as dinosaur, common trilobites as rare. Detection guide.

How does Jurassic Depot help buyers avoid fossil fraud?

Listings require provenance and restoration disclosure. Buyers can request document review, use expert services, and rely on buyer protection for material misrepresentation.

Should I buy fossils without paperwork?

No. Missing locality, land type, or chain-of-custody documents is a major risk for illegal material, fakes, and failed disputes.

Misidentified Species Guide

Common fossils labeled as rare. Marine reptiles sold as dinosaurs. Modern bone stained as Ice Age. The most common species fraud.

Spinosaurus Tooth Sold as T-Rex

Most common misidentification. Spinosaurus teeth are abundant ($10-50). T-Rex teeth rare ($500-5,000+). Spinosaurus: conical, unserrated, round cross-section. T-Rex: serrated, blade-like, D-shaped cross-section. Serrations are distinct under magnification.

Mosasaur Tooth as Dinosaur Tooth

Mosasaur was a marine reptile, not a dinosaur. Teeth common in Morocco ($5-30). Real dinosaur teeth far rarer. Mosasaur: conical, curved, two cutting edges (anterior and posterior carinae) with fine serrations on some genera. Dinosaur teeth: heavier serrations, blade-like cross-section, and distinct wear facets that marine reptiles lack.

Common Trilobite as Rare Species

Flexicalymene/Phacops are abundant. Dicranurus/Ceratarges are rare and valuable. Check: spine count, glabella shape, pygidium detail. Cross-reference with trilobite catalogs. Too-good-to-be-true price = common species.

Crocodile Tooth as Dinosaur Tooth

Fossil crocodile teeth abundant and cheap. Dinosaur teeth rare. Crocodile: conical, smooth, round. Dinosaur: serrations, carinae (cutting edges), wear facets. Almost no crocodilian has serrations.

Modern Bone as Fossil

Modern bone stained/heat-treated to look fossilized. Burn test: fossilized bone doesn't burn or smell organic. Modern bone chars. Fossils are mineralized — feel like stone, not bone.

Common Ammonite as Rare Species

Perisphinctes/Cleoniceras abundant ($10-50). Heteromorphs (Nipponites) rare. Check: shell shape (coiled vs irregular), suture complexity, rib density. Cross-reference guides.

Composite as Articulated Skeleton

Loose bones glued together, sold as articulated. Real bones but from different individuals or species. Check: mismatched color, different preservation, unnatural angles, inconsistent proportions.

Wrong Formation / Region Swap

Formation matters for value. T-Rex from Hell Creek vs 'T-Rex with no locality.' Sellers omit or fabricate location data. Always demand formation and county-level locality.

Jurassic Depot Protection

— Scientific name required on every listing. Generic entries flagged.

— Taxonomy confidence field: sellers declare ID confidence level.

— Expert pre-listing reviews verify species identification.

— Misidentified listings can be reported for admin review.

Defense Guide