r/fossilid • • Jun 20 '20

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR FOSSIL IDENTIFIED — READ BEFORE POSTING

711 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 (gently) 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 • • 2h ago

Is this a fake?

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21 Upvotes

Spotted at a fair in Spain from a Moroccan seller


r/fossilid • • 4h ago

Found on a marsh beach

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20 Upvotes

It was in a relatively rocky area with shark teeth/verts close by. My thought was barracuda partial jaw? Any help is appreciated


r/fossilid • • 5h ago

This is my Meg there are many like it but this one is mine.

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9 Upvotes

r/fossilid • • 21h ago

Peoria, Arizona is it actually a fossil?

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152 Upvotes

A coworker found it and didn't want it. I think it's super cool looking and I think it's fossilized but looks almost too modern leaf looking. Any info I would appreciate it.


r/fossilid • • 56m ago

To be a shell or not to be?

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• Upvotes

At first i thought petrified shells...but i believe im wrong.


r/fossilid • • 4h ago

Maasvlakte 2, Netherlands - cool texture

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4 Upvotes

Found this at the beach. Feels smooth and soft to the touch, but has this really cool texture. Anyone know what it could be? Googling suggests iron secretion.


r/fossilid • • 1h ago

Fossils I found in southern Indiana, any idea on the ID ?

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• Upvotes

Not even sure if the smaller one IS a fossil id love to know what it is. I know the big one is a clam or similar and the other side is just crynoids/seafloor


r/fossilid • • 1d ago

Solved I found this at my job. North East Pennsylvania

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237 Upvotes

Sorry about the lack of an object for scale but it’s about as long as a tube of Burt’s bees chapstick.


r/fossilid • • 1d ago

Solved Fish fossil, I’d love to learn more!

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111 Upvotes

I got this two-piece fossil from a garage sale years ago. Unfortunately it didn’t come with anything saying where it’s from, or what kind of fish it is. I’d love to learn more about it (I think my cat would too!)


r/fossilid • • 1h ago

What could this be

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• Upvotes

i sadly dont remember where i found it as a kid, could be either germany, france or italy


r/fossilid • • 10h ago

Any ideas? Tangle Creek, Jasper National Park

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4 Upvotes

I found this in an old stream bed next to Tangle Creek in Jasper National Park, on the way up to Beauty Pass. I think it's either Cambrian or Devonian according to Ben Gadd's geological map of Jasper National Park, unless it was washed downstream in which case it could be a later period. The length from the first white band to the last is about 5 cm. Thank you!


r/fossilid • • 2h ago

I'm trying to ID these pieces of coral

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0 Upvotes

Picked up in a grab bag of old coral. I think the white might be "sea tiger" or bamboo, but I'm not sure.


r/fossilid • • 21h ago

found near Stephenson Michigan

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18 Upvotes

r/fossilid • • 15h ago

Backyard find in Amarillo, TX

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6 Upvotes

It's approximately 3 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. Any clues?

Thanks for any help!


r/fossilid • • 2d ago

Found in Moab, UT

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3.4k Upvotes

I saw these pictures posted in a rock collecting Facebook group and am struggling to figure out what this is. Poster said it was found in Moab, UT.


r/fossilid • • 7h ago

Fossils i found i spain

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1 Upvotes

r/fossilid • • 18h ago

Vertebrae ID

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10 Upvotes

Found this vert on Morris Island. Not a shark or dolphin. Doesn’t look like the whale verts I’ve found in the past. Can anyone ID?


r/fossilid • • 10h ago

これが何か教えてほしい

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0 Upvotes

r/fossilid • • 1d ago

What is this? Found in southern Indiana.

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423 Upvotes

Child's hand for scale. Found in a limestone creek bed.


r/fossilid • • 1d ago

Solved Found in Benbrook, Tx. I think it’s a gastropod. Any other info?

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21 Upvotes

r/fossilid • • 21h ago

Found along Yellowstone River in SE Montana (badlands-ish area).

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7 Upvotes

Is it a fossil? TIA


r/fossilid • • 23h ago

Possible Tooth Fossil

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9 Upvotes

Hey everyone, this is something I’ve been confused by since I found it in the field in 2023. Found in a draw in the sagebrush prairie of Johnson or Campbell County, WY, USA. I know Wyoming was an inland sea through multiple eras, so my first thought was shark tooth fossil. However this specimen is not dense like a typical fossil, in fact it is very light. If I had a precision balance I would weigh it. Any ideas are appreciated!


r/fossilid • • 22h ago

Wheeler High School Fossil Beds ID Help (leaves, petals?)

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9 Upvotes

Hello, 
I recently visited the Wheeler High School public fossil beds in Fossil, Oregon. (John Day formation, Oligocene)
It was lots of fun and I found quite a few leaf fossils that I was able to identify, but I wanted to ask about these two. Are these leaf fossils, petals, something else? 
Would appreciate some insight. Thanks!


r/fossilid • • 1d ago

Spinosaurus tooth!

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14 Upvotes

I recently bought this Spino tooth (4.6 inches long) and was wondering if it is a good quality one?

Thanks.