False Raptor Teeth

"Rugops is my favorite dromaeosaurids" slogan

The term "raptor" can mean two things. It can refer to either, a bird of prey (e.g. bald eagle) or a dromaeosaurid (e.g. Velociraptor). Granted, they are both theropod dinosaurs, and birds and dromaeosaurids are very close relatives to each other. The latter usage was popularized by pop culture, and it doesn't help that many dromaeosaurids have raptor in their name. Of course, not all dinosaurs that have raptor in their name are dromaeosaurids, such as Fukuiraptor or Oviraptor.

The most common example of misidentified "raptors" are those of abelisaurids.

Kem Kem Abelisaurid / cf. Rugops

The most infamous is the "raptors" from the Cenomanian deposits of the Kem Kem Beds where teeth of indeterminate abelisaurids (cf. Rugops primus) are erroneously sold under names like "raptor", "Deltadromeus", or even "Velociraptor". Deltadromeus, despite having "dromaeus" in its name, is not a true dromaeosaurid, but potentially a noasaurid, a close relative of the abelisaurids; it's teeth are not known, and may or may not have any based on some of its relatives.

Small carcharodontosaurids (Carcharodontosaurus / Sauroniops) can also be commonly mistaken for "raptor" or even abelisaurid.

More recently, the same morphology found in the Kem Kem Group has been found in similar, if not identical aged Dekkar Group from the Talsint region of Morocco. These are sometimes sold as "raptor" as well.

Abelisaurid teeth often fail all of the common traits of dromaeosaurid teeth; they are not recurved nor have different serration density on their mesial and distal carinae. Their mesial carinae do not twist as well, but that is not a rule to dromaeosaurid identification.

View our selection of abelisaurid teeth for sale.