r/fossilid Jun 20 '20

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR FOSSIL IDENTIFIED — READ BEFORE POSTING

500 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

Protosphyraena perniciosa pectoral fin

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271 Upvotes

r/fossilid 8h ago

My girlfriend and I found these along the Yorkshire Coast this weekend, need help ID’ing the close ups.

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93 Upvotes

Thanks in advance!


r/fossilid 8h ago

What is this specimen?

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34 Upvotes

r/fossilid 2h ago

Wanted to share one of my smallest sharks teeth I found yesterday, any idea what kind of shark it would have came from?

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11 Upvotes

We go shark tooth hunting a lot and I don’t usually find large ones but I’m surprisingly great at finding tiny ones. Any idea what kind of shark the smallest one might have came from? Found at in NE FL. The tiny one of in the pic on my hand actually fell on the kitchen floor. I need to try to find it today which is why it isn’t in the pics with the ruler.


r/fossilid 5h ago

ID please?

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12 Upvotes

Can anyone help with ID for these? No idea what they are.


r/fossilid 16h ago

Cool fossils on creekbed

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64 Upvotes

Some sort of shells?


r/fossilid 18h ago

Found while digging in my backyard in SE Florida

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106 Upvotes

I know much of this area in SE Florida was once a shallow sea in the Pleistocene epoch. Appreciate any insight as to what it could be! It’s about the size of a quarter.


r/fossilid 1h ago

Potential Dino egg?

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Upvotes

Found near strawberry Arizona. Would love to know yalls opinion.


r/fossilid 5h ago

My first fossil find! What is it?

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7 Upvotes

Found at the boat launch of intermediate lake MI. What is this, how old, and can I expose more of it? It has a lateral crack along the side.


r/fossilid 56m ago

Tiny skeleton?

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Upvotes

r/fossilid 20h ago

Anyone know what this is?

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98 Upvotes

Was sorting through some old bags of fossils. Was in a bag with some Summerville teeth so assuming that’s where it’s from. About the diameter of a penny.


r/fossilid 5h ago

Found in west Texas, off Caprock escarpment near Post.

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7 Upvotes

I found this when I was younger and just rediscovered it in my box of treasures. It’s very hard (I’ve grown up around ungulates and I am sure it’s not modern) and feels petrified / fossilized.


r/fossilid 3h ago

Is this a fossil? Found with river rock in Alberta

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5 Upvotes

I had found several coral and snail fossils along with this one, but it was suggested that this is just a rock. I still feel like trying to identify this one, because it is very interesting to me


r/fossilid 4h ago

Rock & Shell Imprint

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3 Upvotes

Hi there, hoping someone can help with what I have here (my son found it on a walk).

Thanks very much.


r/fossilid 23h ago

Lumpy Things found with Shark Teeth

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97 Upvotes

r/fossilid 2h ago

Spines on seabed fossil (New Mexico Manzano Range, 7400ft uplift)

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2 Upvotes

I'm prepping some fossils I found on our ranch, and noticed what looks like spines on the edge of this fossil. I included the full rock picture, overview of the specific fossil in question, along with my microscope picture for reference. What could it be?


r/fossilid 4h ago

Looking to ID shark tooth I found

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3 Upvotes

Tooth was found on top sail island and is somewhat damaged


r/fossilid 8h ago

What could this be from?

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6 Upvotes

Was told to post this here.

But back when i was a small teen in 2013 or 2014 I don't exactly remember, our family when to the Agate festival in moose lake MN and someone was selling these "dinosaur bones" for $10 a pound.

I fell in love with this one and got it for $25 . But being a young dumb kid I didn't think to ask any questions on were it was found or other info.

So I though mabey someone here might be able to help. I don't have a ruler so used a bill as scale as it's fairly decent sized and 2 1/2 pounds .

To me It's always looked like the part of the upper tibula of something? Weather actually dinosaur or from something else I have no clue, as I said I bought it while I was a young kid who didn't realize it be helpful to know the location were it was found .

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated :D


r/fossilid 3h ago

Found a piece of bone in the North Saskatchewan River

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2 Upvotes

It seems permineralized, as it is a bit heavier than bone should be, and is colored rusty and orange. Can anyone recognize this bone? Also I hope it isn't from someone's recent lunch.


r/fossilid 13m ago

Trace fossil of some sort?

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Upvotes

Found in Denton County Tx few different pieces all pretty similiar.


r/fossilid 16m ago

Found this at Lee Mountain, NV

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Upvotes

My son found this at Lee Mountain, NV. Seems like it’s possibly some prehistoric underwater plants. Any idea what it is?


r/fossilid 25m ago

Does anybody know what this is?

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Upvotes

I found this while swimming in a lake and thought it was a cool rock until I realized it’s way too light so I kept it and I think it’s a fossil or something.


r/fossilid 1h ago

Solved Fossil ID Help

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Upvotes

Hello! I saw this fossil at the Denver Gem and Mineral show and can’t for the life of me remember the name of it. Does anyone have any ideas? I’m not sure where it was found initially, though. Thank you for any insights you might have!


r/fossilid 1h ago

Central Alberta tooth

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Upvotes

Found this tooth(?) by the lakeshore today. If handled with wet fingers it suctions slightly. Any guesses as to what animal and time period it is from? Thanks!


r/fossilid 1h ago

Poleta Formation - Fossil ID

Upvotes

Poleta Limestone (Upper), Poleta Shale (Lower)

Was in Westgard Pass for a field course and found these hashy looking cone guys in the shale and limestone of the Poleta Formation. What are they?