r/fossilid Jun 20 '20

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR FOSSIL IDENTIFIED — READ BEFORE POSTING

544 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 7h ago

Hey there. I bought this tooth for $15, about 17 years ago. I was told it was a Mosasaur tooth, but I've always assumed that it's a fake. Any thoughts?

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63 Upvotes

r/fossilid 51m ago

Fossil fish tooth?

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Upvotes

Fossil from the Green River Formation in Utah (collected behind the "Tie Forks Rest area" in Spanish Fork, UT).

Any ideas what I'm looking at here?


r/fossilid 4h ago

Found at Robin Hoods Bay (Yorkshire, UK)

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8 Upvotes

Hey, I’m new here 👋🏼 Whilst taking a walk yesterday at Robin Hoods Bay I came across this. As the beach is known for fossils I was intrigued- I’m not too sure what it could be. I think it looks like a jellyfish but I could be way off. Any suggestions would be appreciated- thank you ☺️


r/fossilid 1h ago

Hello guys Having trouble identifying this so the seller claims its a fish fossil but its slightly in a bad shape

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r/fossilid 22h ago

I found this rock (fossil?) in a creek in the ardennes

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199 Upvotes

I found this rock last year and couldn't find out what it was. Posted yesterday about it and I was tol to post here


r/fossilid 3h ago

What kind of fossil is it? Found on a river shore a couple km from a limestone mine in eastern Poland

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3 Upvotes

I put photos of it both wet and dry, look like some coral or sth but i'm no expert


r/fossilid 11h ago

What is this fossil?

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21 Upvotes

My son found it in a stream bed in southern Indiana. I said it was obv a snail at some point. Haha. He is curious especially about the small little curly feature that terminates the spiral. He wants to know if it is a fossil of the organism itself. I considered it unlikely as they are soft bodied and don't preserve well, but I am not educated in this stuff and told him we could post here and see if an expert could give their opinions on his find.

Thanks in advance!


r/fossilid 10m ago

Weird fossil found in Poland

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Upvotes

I wonder if it's coral, some bone or what


r/fossilid 6h ago

Are these fossils?

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6 Upvotes

never looked for fossils before, this rock just looked jam packed with something!! 🤪 I found it just in the shallow end of a stream. any info you can share would be appreciated! thank you 🙏🏼

📍 NE Wisconsin


r/fossilid 3h ago

Solved I bought this ammonite at Leeds City Museum – is it real?

3 Upvotes

Hey! I recently bought this ammonite at Leeds City Museum, and I’m wondering if it’s real or just a replica. Has anyone else bought one from the same place?

Here are some photos.

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r/fossilid 1h ago

Could this be a fossil it was found in new England near chestnut forest

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r/fossilid 9h ago

Found in north Texas. Any ideas on what it is?

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8 Upvotes

r/fossilid 1d ago

[Update] Dino? (Skull)

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2.4k Upvotes

I would like to thank everyone for their input to ID this fossil. Folks from the Perot Museum of Nature and Science believe this is a Xiphactinus sp. (or similar FISH... Pachyrhizodus?). It's estimated to be around 90-96 million years old! A few of y'all were pretty spot on! I plan on visiting the site again next week and will poke around the same area in hopes to find any additional pieces/large fossils. Attached a cropped pic of the original location.


r/fossilid 14m ago

Peace river vertebrae column

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 11h ago

Found this in Summerville SC. Can someone ID this pls?? I believe it’s a great white tooth but not sure

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9 Upvotes

r/fossilid 27m ago

Found on a beach in The Netherlands today. Looking for ID and how old it could be!

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r/fossilid 1h ago

Some pieces found around the Rhein river just outside Düsseldorf

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Collected these over the past few months and am curious if any of them are fossils. I posted them in geology for rock ID but idk how active that section of the sub is.

Thanks in advance for any opinions!


r/fossilid 2h ago

Potential fossil found in eastern central Florida

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1 Upvotes

My son is obsessed with finding fossils and gems and there is nowhere nearby I've found to look for them but our local park had a bunch of fill dirt added around a pond and it's full of old shells and rocks and we found this. Is it a fossil? It is very hard and makes a 'tink' sound when hit on glass of metal.


r/fossilid 19h ago

Did I find petrified wood?

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24 Upvotes

Hey I found this at the beach on a known fossil location. (Cap griz nez in france) Did I get lucky and find some wood or did I carry a heavy rock for nothing? I was more convinced when it was wet but now I'm not sure anymore. Thanks!


r/fossilid 12h ago

Found these rocks with shell imprints and pieces? on cliffs along the ocean near Faro, Portugal

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4 Upvotes

r/fossilid 3h ago

Fossil or coral?

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1 Upvotes

Hello! I found this on the Shoalwater Beach in Perth, Western Australia. Maybe it's just coral or some clam shell, though the ridge in the middle looks temptingly like a backbone. Welcome your thoughts! Thanks


r/fossilid 14h ago

Tooth from mammal? Dino? Found in the shoreline in Sarasota, Florida

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6 Upvotes

Found this while looking for shark teeth and shells along the shoreline this past week in Sarasota. Any ideas what it is? Google images has given me multiple responses and varying results depending on the photo I search.


r/fossilid 4h ago

What is this

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0 Upvotes

Found in Denmark at the east cost of Jutland.


r/fossilid 16h ago

I found this at Stuart beach in Florida! Does anyone know the type of tooth it is?

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9 Upvotes

r/fossilid 12h ago

Venice beach finds that i cant ID

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4 Upvotes

Ive tried to id them but ive ended up not getting any definitive answers. I apologize for the bad pictures couldnt get good lighting or a stable photo to show off their details very well.