Sometimes accidents happen. Sometimes, those accidents are preserved in the fossil record, And sometimes, we're lucky enough to find those fossils and ponder over the fate of those poor individuals. In the case of the amphibian Sclerocephalus haeuseri, shown in the image below, it had literally bitten off more than it could chew.
Ahem.
This particular specimen appears to have died while eating another smaller amphibian (possibly a smaller S. haeuseri). If you look at the images below, the skull of the smaller individual can be seen in the larger individuals throat region. I've gotta say it again... I love taphonomy! But I would urge caution, as perhaps these carcasses merely laid on top of one another and rotted together. Or some other taphonomic oddity merged the two skeletons together. It's hard to tell without close examination.
Unfortunately, this slab (which includes a small fish fossil - possibly Paramblypterus gelberti - completely ignored by the press, poor thing!) is going to be auctioned off by Heritage Auctions on the 19th/20th October, 2013. If it ends up in the hands of a private collector, any research conducted on that fossil cannot be included in a published paper, as journal guidelines often stipulate that fossils studied must be housed in publicly accessible institutions (most often, museums).
Some might argue that a private collector can allow access for researchers to the fossil; however, what if they change their mind? And will their heir allow access? Or their heir's heir? Will it still be accessible in 100 years time? Given that this fossil came from a 'Private San Francisco Collection' (according to the auction website), this probably explains why this specimen has not been included (to my knowledge) in a scientific publication thus far.
At least the auction house admits that "Because of changes in German law, collecting of these specimens is no longer permitted." Phew! Similar laws restricting collection and sale of fossils are in place in other countries; however, this doesn't stop illegal collection and auction, and only with a lot of campaigning are these auctions halted (like the cancellation of a Tarbosaurus bataar fossil auction earlier this year).
Also, ignore the media's label of 'crocodile' when referring to these specimens: they are crocodile-like in shape, I guess, but any reference to crocodiles just confuses the issue! They are amphibians, not reptiles. It would be like calling a bee a 'bird' because they both have wings.
Ahem.
This particular specimen appears to have died while eating another smaller amphibian (possibly a smaller S. haeuseri). If you look at the images below, the skull of the smaller individual can be seen in the larger individuals throat region. I've gotta say it again... I love taphonomy! But I would urge caution, as perhaps these carcasses merely laid on top of one another and rotted together. Or some other taphonomic oddity merged the two skeletons together. It's hard to tell without close examination.
Unfortunately, this slab (which includes a small fish fossil - possibly Paramblypterus gelberti - completely ignored by the press, poor thing!) is going to be auctioned off by Heritage Auctions on the 19th/20th October, 2013. If it ends up in the hands of a private collector, any research conducted on that fossil cannot be included in a published paper, as journal guidelines often stipulate that fossils studied must be housed in publicly accessible institutions (most often, museums).
Some might argue that a private collector can allow access for researchers to the fossil; however, what if they change their mind? And will their heir allow access? Or their heir's heir? Will it still be accessible in 100 years time? Given that this fossil came from a 'Private San Francisco Collection' (according to the auction website), this probably explains why this specimen has not been included (to my knowledge) in a scientific publication thus far.
At least the auction house admits that "Because of changes in German law, collecting of these specimens is no longer permitted." Phew! Similar laws restricting collection and sale of fossils are in place in other countries; however, this doesn't stop illegal collection and auction, and only with a lot of campaigning are these auctions halted (like the cancellation of a Tarbosaurus bataar fossil auction earlier this year).
Also, ignore the media's label of 'crocodile' when referring to these specimens: they are crocodile-like in shape, I guess, but any reference to crocodiles just confuses the issue! They are amphibians, not reptiles. It would be like calling a bee a 'bird' because they both have wings.
Photographs of fossilised Sclerocephalus haeuseri which apparently asphyxiated on a smaller amphibian, possibly another Sclerocephalus haeuseri, up for auction. Images from Heritage Auctions.
