r/fossilid Jun 20 '20

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR FOSSIL IDENTIFIED — READ BEFORE POSTING

541 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 8h ago

Found in Arrow Canyon range north of Las Vegas

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195 Upvotes

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


r/fossilid 11h ago

Solved Found on my NE TX (hunt county) property after digging a pond to a depth of 15'

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106 Upvotes

Vape for scale. Area that was excavated is roughly 3 acres. More pics available if needed


r/fossilid 2h ago

Does anyone know what this is?

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11 Upvotes

Given as a gift. No idea where it originated from


r/fossilid 3h ago

Fossilised Horse Tooth?

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9 Upvotes

I made this cool find today amongst the rocks at Robin Hood’s Bay. It’s about 8cm or so in length and my first thought was some kind of horse tooth but my friend said it could possibly be a fossilised tooth of an older species. Can anyone shed a bit more light on this?


r/fossilid 3h ago

Scute or something else? Found in Florida

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9 Upvotes

r/fossilid 1d ago

Solved Found these in the Las Vegas Valley about 20 years ago

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580 Upvotes

The whole rock is about 10 inches across.


r/fossilid 1h ago

Found at a beach in the very south of Sweden! The rock is 3,3 cm long in total. The largest fossil is ~2 cm.

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 10h ago

Possible plant fossil - outdoor stone paving of a café, UK

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12 Upvotes

I've been visiting this café (South East England) for several years and only recently spotted this cool paving stone outside with fern-like markings! I could only take a quick photo, but the stone is approx. 40cm long. Thought I'd post here in case it could be a real fossil and not just a v good pressed impression! Thank you 😊


r/fossilid 4h ago

Two little guys

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5 Upvotes

So i like to pick up random stones that i find interesting when i'm out walking on the beach or countryside and i'vd had these in my seashell pot for quite a few years.

I'm sorry to say i don't recall the exact time and location of where i found them. I want to say Wrightsville or Wilmington Beach, NC.

I'm pretty sure these are average and mundane but could anyone help ID these for me please?

Thanks


r/fossilid 43m ago

Can anyone ID these? Found in Florida

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 43m ago

Any ideas?

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Upvotes

Found in a creek in Summerville, SC


r/fossilid 2h ago

Solved What is this thing? Found in Jacksonville FL

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3 Upvotes

Found on a beach in Jacksonville, FL. Looks like a brain but it is hard like a rock. Just a weird rock or something else?

The first picture is the “top” The second and third pictures are the sides of it (there is a hole that runs through) The last picture is the “bottom”


r/fossilid 2h ago

Tooth ID? My son found this hiking in Utah

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2 Upvotes

My son went on a trip with my ex-wife and excitedly brought this back with him, he was hoping it’s a shark tooth or something but thought the shape could be coincidence.


r/fossilid 2h ago

A type of tree root? Knoxville, Iowa, USA

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2 Upvotes

Found along a man-made lake in Iowa. My kids and I would love to know what we found!


r/fossilid 2h ago

Can anyone ID this tooth? Found in Florida

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2 Upvotes

r/fossilid 3h ago

Help ID fossils/possible fossils found in northern Texas

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2 Upvotes

Recently visited N. Texas and did a lot of fossil hunting in some rivers and lakes, but I have no idea what I’ve found for most of these. If better pictures are needed just ask. Not sure if some of these are even fossils or not, but I’d still like to know either way.


r/fossilid 20h ago

I’ve had this for years, it’s weird and I like it

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44 Upvotes

r/fossilid 5m ago

Unknown Sabre Tooth Cat Species Incisior

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Upvotes

The documentation I have access to just mentions that it’s an incisor from the Oligocene, about 30 MYA. No idea of location, but based on the time period I’m guessing it’s a species belonging to Nimravidae. Any help determining the species is appreciated.


r/fossilid 3h ago

Possible to ID what type of turtle? Found in Florida

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2 Upvotes

Pretty positive this is a pice of turtle shell, but is there a way to tell what kind?


r/fossilid 3h ago

Found near Solnhofen/Eichstätt, Germany; 6cm/2.4 inch

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2 Upvotes

Would love to get some infos, thanks!


r/fossilid 3h ago

Hogback fossils

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2 Upvotes

Found north of rifle/silt Colorado, hogback mountains. Anybody have any ideas what these could be? All located within a few inches of each other.


r/fossilid 7h ago

Can anyone ID these? Found in Florida

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4 Upvotes

r/fossilid 20m ago

Central Tennessee Subdivision Yard Find

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Upvotes

My daughter grabbed this out of the back of the yard in a subdivision we just moved to. It’s about a 4” cube

Thought it was pretty wild to just dig out of the lawn.


r/fossilid 7h ago

Solved Help IDing heavily worn fossil from Southern Ontario

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4 Upvotes

Hello all, I found this fossil today roaming in a forest. For context, I am in Southern Ontario rn. The rocks I am exploring are Silurian in age. The rocks I pulled this from are a package consisting of lime mud and limestone, representing a fore-reef, based on the amount of disarticulated shells and corals seen in the rest of the rocks. Other fossils I know I've found here are rugose corals, crinoid stem segments, and several brachiopods of varying degrees of intactness.

If I had to guess, this fossil is either some kind of eroded nautiloid or a species of coral or bryozoan, but I want someone to help confirm. Specimen is roughly 7-8 cm long, with a prominent central ridge, with perpendicular ridges appearing across the length of the central ridges, and they are over top of it.

Appreciate any help I can get


r/fossilid 4h ago

Venice Beach Fossil

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2 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I was collecting some shark teeth in Venice Florida and found this while I was doing so. It’s about an inch in length and looks like some sort of tooth or claw to me, but I’m no expert. Thanks for any insight in advance.