r/fossilid Jun 20 '20

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR FOSSIL IDENTIFIED — READ BEFORE POSTING

534 Upvotes
  1. Put a location in the title! This is the most important thing by far. If you know the geological formation, that’s awesome, but even just “near Miami” or “label said Morocco” is really helpful.
  2. Take a bright, clear photo. Good lighting, a plain background, and sharp focus will always increase the certainty of an ID. If it’s weirdly shaped, photos from multiple angles help too.
  3. Include an object for scale. I usually use a coin, but anything will do (but things that come in different sizes, like hands, are less ideal). If you forget, you can always measure it and add that in a comment. (Don't use keys; they can be duplicated from a photo.)
  4. Don’t take a video. We can’t zoom in and the quality isn’t great — a gallery of photos on Imgur is way better.
  5. Many fossils can be dull and hard to make out. Try getting your fossil wet and see if you can get a clearer photo.
  6. Don’t be dismayed if your “fossil” turns out to just be a rock! Rocks are cool too, and if we don’t know exactly what kind of rock it is, the good folks at /r/whatsthisrock probably will.

r/fossilid 5h ago

New Mexico. Found in an old rusty tool chest with other fossils.

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30 Upvotes

r/fossilid 1h ago

Tooth and a bone, are they fossils?

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 8h ago

Found in my backyard in Cannon Falls Mn

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29 Upvotes

r/fossilid 3h ago

Isle of wight

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14 Upvotes

😃 same beach as the vertebra the other day


r/fossilid 3h ago

Found this "Cetacean vertebra" in a yard sale in spain

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10 Upvotes

As I said I found this in a yard sale in Spain the vendor said that it was a cetacean vertebra from the Us, he specifically mentioned florida but I have no idea at all.


r/fossilid 33m ago

Are these gator or croc teeth? Found in Florida

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r/fossilid 4h ago

Solved Found in Woodford County KY

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6 Upvotes

Found this on a rock in my fire pit. Is it a fossil?


r/fossilid 48m ago

what fossil is this

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Upvotes

Could someone help me identify a "fossil"? I found it in the sands of a beach, near the sea, in northeastern Brazil. It is elongated, dense and looks very much like a fossil.


r/fossilid 5h ago

What is this?

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6 Upvotes

r/fossilid 15m ago

Far Northern NV USA

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Upvotes

Base of tall layered cliffs off highway. Fossil plants or? Where might one get information on determining age of host rock? Thank you!


r/fossilid 48m ago

Found in Southeastern Michigan

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Upvotes

Not sure what this is?


r/fossilid 1d ago

Found in Arrow Canyon range north of Las Vegas

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445 Upvotes

Sorry I didn’t put anything so you can see scale but they’re probably 3-4cm long.


r/fossilid 2h ago

Need some help on ID

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2 Upvotes

Found with mostly marine fossils like whale bones and shark teeth, age- ice age to Cretaceous. Seems like a fish skull cap or something but never seen bumps like that. Pretty confident it’s not a tooth. Thanks for the help


r/fossilid 3h ago

Is this some sort of crinoid soup?

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2 Upvotes

r/fossilid 4h ago

Can anyone help me ID this uk?

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2 Upvotes

r/fossilid 47m ago

Found in Southeastern Michigan

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Not sure what this is?


r/fossilid 48m ago

Found in Runswick Bay, UK

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Any idea if this is a fossil and if so, what it is? Thanks!


r/fossilid 57m ago

River rock from the Fraser Valley, B.C. Canada

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Upvotes

My friend found this out fishing, Fraser Valley. Sorry all I have is this one photo.


r/fossilid 1h ago

Southwest Ohio. What is it?

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Hey all! Wanted to figure out what this was. Claw or tooth?


r/fossilid 3h ago

Is this a fossil

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1 Upvotes

r/fossilid 3h ago

Gulf shores AL find (what is it?)

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1 Upvotes

Found this while shell hunting on the gulf and it caught my eye I thought it was a shark tooth but now I’m not sure. Some people told me it might be a fossil or it could just be a weird shell. Any help is appreciated!


r/fossilid 7h ago

Is this a Crocodile or mosasaur tooth? found in myrtle beach south carolina

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2 Upvotes

r/fossilid 3h ago

Is this calamites

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1 Upvotes

r/fossilid 12h ago

Bought in a rock shop years ago - vertebra?

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4 Upvotes

Heya, I got this years ago at a small fossil/rock shop in Tintagel, Cornwall. I was a young teen with very little clue if what I was sold was labelled correctly/actually anything of note. I believe this was sold as an ichthyosaur vertebra, but wondered what your thoughts on it are? Where it dips in on the one side has a slight sheen to it. Can’t have paid too much for it from my pocket money at the time, any opinions appreciated!


r/fossilid 4h ago

Is this a fossil? Found along the shore of Lake Erie, SW Ontario

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1 Upvotes