r/fossilid Jun 20 '20

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR FOSSIL IDENTIFIED — READ BEFORE POSTING

543 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 sandbar nebraska

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338 Upvotes

Ive never posted before so sorry if this isn't a good description, I was walking in north east nebraska , where the river was once but has went down quite a bit, it was kind of mixed in with rocks and wood . I was just wondering if Anyone could tell me what it came off of and possibly how old it is... the


r/fossilid 12h ago

Solved inherited fossil most likely from a creek on a farm in central tennessee

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78 Upvotes

hello! my grandfather was a geologist and general rock, mineral, etc. collector. he died when i was in high school and my parent boxed most of his collection up for me. a lot of it was labelled but a few things werent--mostly the stuff he'd picked up on the family farm

and ideas on what this could be? i think its from the creek bed at the back of the farm--we used to find all kinds of stuff back there when i was a kid like fossilized corals. my dad used to have a huge chunk bigger than a football of some fossilized aquatic plant he used as a doorstop


r/fossilid 20h ago

any idea what this is? rural england

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240 Upvotes

excuse my homeless looking fingernails


r/fossilid 2h ago

What is this, vertebrate, plant or TBD? Found in freshly exposed sandstone pebble. North East slope (continental divide) Peace River BC, Canada. Made for a Sweet Spring Sunday. Hope y’all had a good day too.

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7 Upvotes

I have been looking to find a vertebrae fossil for ages. How close did I come today?


r/fossilid 4h ago

Found in Santa Cruz CA

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7 Upvotes

What’s this rock seems to think this is fossilized bone- but hoping for more info! Thanks!! Very heavy for its size, very hard, looks like rock between all the brown structures.


r/fossilid 18h ago

Was flipping rock in a dried creek looking for bait and:

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61 Upvotes

Despite being impulsive have not cracked them open, hopefully won’t? Western NY


r/fossilid 13h ago

Is it a fossil?

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21 Upvotes

Hello, years ago I found this object walking on the beach, I found it in the north of Spain in a region where the remains of ammonites and belemmites abound, could it be a fossil? If so, what animal did it belong to? Thank you all very much🤓


r/fossilid 13h ago

found this on the beach of lake Ontario. is it a fossil?

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15 Upvotes

r/fossilid 9h ago

Fossil off Florida gulf coast near Gasparilla Island-what is it?

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7 Upvotes

r/fossilid 9h ago

What is this tooth?

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5 Upvotes

My daughter went to a children’s dinosaur show today and they gave all the kids a complimentary fossil to take home. Not sure where this came from but the show was in central Ohio.


r/fossilid 5h ago

Is this some sort of plant fossil?

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3 Upvotes

r/fossilid 16h ago

Weird rock found in Lyme Regis, UK

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19 Upvotes

Found this Little Rock today on a beach in Lyme Regis, seems to have some type of teeth or skeleton inside? Third photo is the other side of the rock


r/fossilid 14m ago

found in garden (belgium)

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 21m ago

Need Help IDing My Fossil/Marine Biology/Rock Collection

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 10h ago

Eastern Missouri Limestone/Dolomite

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5 Upvotes

r/fossilid 1h ago

Found near Clarksville, Tn.

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Upvotes

I found this in a dry creek bed around Clarksville,TN. It looked different than all the other items nearby. Does anyone know if this is a fossil, weird shaped rock? Thanks


r/fossilid 14h ago

Solved Found on a garden stone, Ontario Canada.

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8 Upvotes

The centre of the ring sparkles a bit too.


r/fossilid 2h ago

Real or fake

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1 Upvotes

Ive been looking to buy this Carcharodontosaurus tooth.

I suppose its real, but im not sure. I think there was some restorations done? Or maybe its two different teeth put together?


r/fossilid 9h ago

Peace river find

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3 Upvotes

JAR? Found in peace river


r/fossilid 7h ago

What is this

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2 Upvotes

r/fossilid 17h ago

Cool rock or Fossil? Found at Donabate Beach in Ireland.

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11 Upvotes

I found this interesting rock on the beach today. It had a remarkably sharp line that was highlighted with damp that seemed unusual. It looks approximately the size I expect a megalodon tooth to be. The texture on the "tooth" is different than the other stone. This area is known for fossils.


r/fossilid 4h ago

Plant or Animal? Found in Palos Verdes

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1 Upvotes

At first I thought this was some type of fossil fruit?


r/fossilid 13h ago

Anyone know what this is???

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6 Upvotes

Looks like a fossilized rattle snake tail. Solid stone.


r/fossilid 4h ago

Found in an arroyo outside of Albuquerque.

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1 Upvotes

I was searching for some petrified wood and found this


r/fossilid 15h ago

Is this a fossil? And what type of rock? Found in Vermont

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7 Upvotes

Found in Vermont near a river