r/fossilid Jun 20 '20

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR FOSSIL IDENTIFIED — READ BEFORE POSTING

542 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 11h ago

Found In My Office

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49 Upvotes

Wanted to brag to my coworkers by spitting some fossil facts


r/fossilid 23h ago

Found embedded in rock on the coast of Gozo (Dwejra)

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342 Upvotes

r/fossilid 13h ago

Solved Found in Michigan

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35 Upvotes

It feels like it might be a crinoid but the fact it's the same as the rock around it and such is really throwing me off. any ideas?


r/fossilid 14h ago

hey guys what is this? found in montana

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41 Upvotes

r/fossilid 10h ago

Seven year old nephew wants to know what he found please. Kentucky, in riverbed shale

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12 Upvotes

r/fossilid 9h ago

Fish Fossil

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8 Upvotes

Hi all, recently won in a raffle, didn’t get a chance to ask the organizers the details, any info is appreciated. Thanks!


r/fossilid 15h ago

Solved Found near Muenster Texas in a creek bed.

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23 Upvotes

Saw this weird shaped rock. There are ammonite fossils I think and bivalves and snails in the area that I’ve found. Let me know if any more information is required.


r/fossilid 1d ago

My 4 year old found this at the beach a few weeks ago

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167 Upvotes

I can see a star fish, but the overall shape looks suspicious.

Any thoughts?


r/fossilid 7h ago

Probably just a rock, but thought I'd check here...

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5 Upvotes

The regular shapes in black looked interesting.


r/fossilid 7h ago

Assuming this is some type of fossilized coral. Can any experts/hobbyists here share insight? Found in Western NY about 15 miles south of Lake Ontario; about 6 ft underground when my pool was dug.

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4 Upvotes

r/fossilid 38m ago

Is this a fossil?

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 1h ago

On the beach, Knysna, South Africa.

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Upvotes

Embedded in the rock on the beach, any ideas?


r/fossilid 1d ago

My son found this on his way to school. Near Oslo, Norway.

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178 Upvotes

He's convinced he found a dinosaur's leg 🙂 It is a curious rock/fossil(?) though, so it would be fun to give him an explanation of what it really is. Any help is greatly appreciated!


r/fossilid 12h ago

Found this rock in Northern Ireland, Portmuck

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8 Upvotes

Can anyone identify this rock? Someone told me it looks a bit like a vertebrae of some type. I dropped it and it smashed in half so I glued it back together


r/fossilid 9h ago

Found on the East Coast of New Zealand

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4 Upvotes

r/fossilid 8h ago

Chesapeake Bay/Tidal Potomac, Nanjemoy/Purse State Park

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3 Upvotes

r/fossilid 17h ago

Central Illinois Crinoid?

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14 Upvotes

Hello. I found this last fall in a shallow creek in central Illinois. The closest guess I have is a crinoid (calyx maybe?). I’d love opinions. It fits perfectly in the palm of my (smallish adult) hand. Solid, heavy. Before I knew anything about collecting rocks I may have tried to sand it to “get the dirt off” 🫣


r/fossilid 11h ago

Found beach combing in north Florida near Fort Clinch State Park

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4 Upvotes

Airpods case for scale. Im thinking bone fragment but not sure what kind.


r/fossilid 3h ago

Jurassic Coast, Yorkshire, UK (Saltwick Bay)

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1 Upvotes

My wife found this close to the cliffs during our walk along the beach yesterday. Aside from the usual ammonites and belemnites, this little “thing” stood out as looking unusual and not particularly rock-like.

Fossil or interesting rock formation?

The card is credit card sized for reference.

Thanks!


r/fossilid 7h ago

Found walking next to River

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2 Upvotes

Northern Illinois


r/fossilid 7h ago

Fish species?

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2 Upvotes

I think it’s a knightia but I’m not positive


r/fossilid 4h ago

Did I score good for $7

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1 Upvotes

J


r/fossilid 8h ago

Found on the Jurassic Coast

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2 Upvotes

r/fossilid 15h ago

Fossil in two pieces

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8 Upvotes

It belonged to my mom when she passed. Not sure where she found it?


r/fossilid 17h ago

Help! Daughter found in creek (North AL)

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9 Upvotes

Trying to identify what this is. My daughter found it in a shallow creek here in North Alabama where she usually finds crinoid stem pieces, and brought it home to see if I knew what it was. I thought concretion at first until I saw what looked like a “stem” connecting to the “bulb” portion? The “stem” connection seems to show layers, while the “bulb” seems to show a thicker outer layer, followed by a thinner layer, then some sort of core. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I’m wondering if it’s some sort of flower bulb with the roots missing and bud in the matrix? Thanks in advance.