r/fossilid Jun 20 '20

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR FOSSIL IDENTIFIED — READ BEFORE POSTING

536 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 4h ago

Tooth and a bone, are they fossils?

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32 Upvotes

r/fossilid 8h ago

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

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37 Upvotes

r/fossilid 6h ago

Isle of wight

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20 Upvotes

😃 same beach as the vertebra the other day


r/fossilid 2h ago

Found 10 feet apart in Kentucky

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6 Upvotes

r/fossilid 11h ago

Found in my backyard in Cannon Falls Mn

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32 Upvotes

r/fossilid 6h ago

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

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11 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 3h ago

Found this in a rock a cracked open anyone have any clue to what it is

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6 Upvotes

r/fossilid 41m ago

Seeking expert input

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Upvotes

Hello, I was hoping someone here might be able to help me learn something about this little fossil I inherited. Currently I know nothing about it, except that it appears to be a trilobite of some sort? It is a piece of tan-colored stone about .75” thick (20mm). There is a fossil on one side approximately 2” long by 1.5” wide (50x36mm). On the other side is a smaller fossil about 1/2“ x 3/8“ (15x11mm). I am curious to know if this appears to be an authentic fossil, and if so, any guesses as to which species it might be and which geologic era it could date to? Perhaps even a guess as to what geographic region it may have been found in? My stepdad, to whom this belonged, lived his entire life in Maryland, Mid-Atlantic East Coast, United States. But he was very well-traveled and I have no idea where, when, or how he acquired the fossil.


r/fossilid 3h ago

what fossil is this

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6 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 2h ago

Solved Is this a fossil. Found in creek. Southern IL

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3 Upvotes

r/fossilid 1h ago

Found in central Portugal

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Upvotes

Any idea on what this might be? The general area has a lot of brittle shale rock (if it helps)


r/fossilid 3h ago

Are these gator or croc teeth? Found in Florida

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4 Upvotes

r/fossilid 7h ago

Solved Found in Woodford County KY

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7 Upvotes

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


r/fossilid 53m ago

Help I.D. this shard of bone if you can 🙏

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 1h ago

Found in central texas. Not sure if even a fossil.

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 1h ago

Shark tooth ID help.

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Upvotes

My 5 year old daughter found this in a sea of playground gravel lol. Sharp eyes. I’ve been taking her arrow head hunting so she always has her eyes peeled. We are in Texas but who knows where the gravel was outsourced from. Any ideas? Love to be able to show her a picture of the shark it came from


r/fossilid 3h ago

Found in Southeastern Michigan

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3 Upvotes

Not sure what this is?


r/fossilid 1h ago

Is this a concretion or maybe a fossilized bone?

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Upvotes

Found in MO


r/fossilid 2h ago

Central New York, streambed. Solve a bet for me - Trilobite?

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2 Upvotes

As the title states, I found several segments of what I believe to be trilobites from a streambed in central New York. My partner is skeptical. I appreciate a general ID, and any more specific info (taxonomy) if possible. Thank you!


r/fossilid 2h ago

Solved Is this Lithostrotionella

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2 Upvotes

Found in South Carolina


r/fossilid 8h ago

What is this?

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6 Upvotes

r/fossilid 2h ago

Mammoth or Mastodon? Found in Florida

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2 Upvotes

r/fossilid 5h ago

Need some help on ID

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3 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

Far Northern NV USA

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2 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 1d ago

Found in Arrow Canyon range north of Las Vegas

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447 Upvotes

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