First of all, I’m not a professional paleontologist. I try to label specimens as accurately as possible, but I realize I’ve undoubtedly made mistakes.

The accuracy of the information on this website is my priority. If you see any errors, inaccuracies, or have any suggestions regarding identification, please feel free to contact me!

Note on identification of fossilized bones from the Germanic Basin

If you’ve already looked through at least part of my collection, you’ve probably noticed that there are many question marks and uncertainties regarding the assignment of specimens to specific species, or even genus.

Unfortunately, a characteristic feature of vertebrate fossils from Silesian Muschelkalk deposits is the almost complete lack of complete, articulated skeletons. As if that weren’t enough, some of those we had were lost (probably destroyed) during World War II. Consequently, on the one hand, we have mostly isolated bones, and on the other, there’s almost no comparative material.This makes identification extremely difficult (especially for hobbyists).

An example is the iconic tooth of “nothosaurus”. In fact, we know that four reptiles have similar-looking teeth (Nothosaurus is one of them). Without associated skeletal elements, it is often impossible to determine the family, let alone the species.

Label such a tooth or vertebra as Nothosaurus sp., is significant oversimplification. I have chosen an approach rooted in scientific integrity: if an assignment is uncertain, I state it clearly.