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Hi again, I watch with astonishment and some concern how much many applications of so called artificial intelligence have improved their performance in the last few years. There are quite workable apps for plant and animal ID now. The problem with fossils as far as I see it is that the ID has not only to "recognize" the typical features of a species, but to take into account the different preservations. A plant app will ask you to take clear fotos of a leaf, a flower, a fruit... If a fragment of a shell or bone with mineral staining is all you have got, it gets more complicated. And maybe that kind of mineral staining appears in a lot of pics of a different species... I am sure its theoretically possible to have an app ID fossils, but all the apps that work on other topics do so because a massive amount of data has been fed into them, not sure if and when that will happen for fossils. I tried getting dinosaur pics from an AI image generator lately. They all look a bit like T-Rex, BUT: If you ask for an Apatosaurus it gives out a long necked quadruped T-Rex, and if you ask for Stegosaurus it got triangles on its back. I think thats incredibly and frighteningly good when you compare to what there was two years ago. Back to your specimen: I think thats something close to counterseptarian structures or infilled cracks. Best regards, J

Thank you! I don't think they are hemis either. I have a fair number of them and these don't look like them to me. If I use one of those apps and retake the photos, would I start a new thread with them, or attach them here? Sorry. New here and don't want to do things wrong.

Thank you SO much! I really appreciate your input. I will also absolutely check out those apps to make uploading easier and less cumbersome for everyone involved.

So many… 35: tapir - yes. 34: I call these “frags”. Probably mammoth or mastodon 29-33 : look to be worn frags 28: mastodon or rhino. Looks like HSB’s. 27: that’s probably as much as you can tell 26: ?? Where’s Jack? Maybe a worn whale tooth? 25: maybe antler or mammoth chunk 24: mastadon frag 22/23: HemiPristis Serra 21: need better pics. 20: suggestive pebble rock Im out. Sharks teeth are not in my pay grade yet. ok…. If you have access to apps of any kind you should be able to find “layout” and “Phonto”. Layout will let you, lay out grids to an obscure level. Phonto lets you type on your pictures. Make a layout and label it. 😊 Hapoy to assist further if needed. Just message. Here’s a grid and I used Phonto to put the names above the bones. Jp

Hi and welcome! I wonder what app that may be? Although I know there are finally some decent apps for plant and animal ID, I have not come across anything that can tell a Trilobit from lobster soup regarding fossils. Best Regards, J

Wondering if anyone knows of some good apps for paleontology and geology topics. They can be for reference, identification, whatever— anything other than dinosaur-themed kids’ games the App Store is most interested in showing me, haha. Preferably with some offline capabilities. I already downloaded Rockd and would really be enjoying the offline geological map feature if it wasn’t so glitchy in choosing to load properly or not, so if anyone’s gotten that to work more reliably, please share your secret. Thanks for the input!

Thanks! Here's a really interesting read about Clovis points in Maryland. https://apps.jefpat.maryland.gov/diagnostic/ProjectilePoints/FindingAidsandImagePages/FindingAids/PaleoIndian/clovis.html

Not an egg or any kind of fossil. I'm not a mineral expert but for once it seems like one of those apps might actually be correct. This reminds me of some clear Mexican Opal as it is called.

Have used a trinocular attachment with a big full-frame digital camera, and I don't like the results compared to an iPhone camera through the eye piece. Plus on-phone apps can step through the focal planes needed for photo stacking.

I think it's a geological formation, I'm sorry to say. Apps are not yet reliable at IDing fossils. What I see is a sedimentary or metamorphic rock that was fractured, filled with a relatively hard mineral, such as quartz, and then subject to erosion, leaving the harder mineral veins poking out.

Welcome to the Forum, Sandee. If you could upload your photos in JPG, that would be great (the forum cannot display images in the heic format). In terms of apps, I have heard of RockD that gives some good information on bedrock geology. That said, sometimes the best information comes from the classic sources, such as the geologic maps you can probably access via the USGS.

1. How many postings are appropriate per day for identification without becoming annoying? I'd limit it to 5 per day, so long as you add all pertinent information, and pictures with something for scale in them. Do not take for granted that we all know where you found something - always add location information, where possible. Also, for 3-dimensional objects, 6 pictures should suffice - top, bottom, right side, left side, front, and back. All should be looking straight on at the fossil. 2-dimensional fossils need a picture of the overall piece, then closeups of the fossil itself. Plants are more easily identified by the veining on the leaves, and how they attach to the stem, or Rachis. Camera should be held directly above the item - no oblique angles. 2. Is there an app anyone is aware of that I can simply upload an image and get accurate results? Not that I am aware of. More A-I based apps are being developed, but my experience has been that much AI (including Google Lenz) stink at identifying fossils. 3. What would be the best way to share multiple, dozens of pictures in one large group, if possible to share with all the members? Start a topic in Member Collections. Post mass item photos there. But do not expect ID's from these photos. ID's come from well lit, in focus pictures posted in the FOSSIL ID forum.

The Permian-Triassic Extinction Event of 252 Million Years ago was one of Earth’s largest mass extinction events, wiping out around 75% of all terrestrial genera and 95% of all oceanic genera. Cephalopods (represented at the time mostly by ammonites and the still extant Nautilidae) were especially hit hard, with around 97% of all ammonite genera becoming extinct by the start of the Triassic. But those genera that survived the event formed the basis for a major radiation in cephalopod diversity. Ammonites (particularly those of the order Ceratitida) experienced an era of rapid diversification during the Triassic. Cephalopods continued to diversify in the later stages of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Here’s a list of all currently known cephalopod genera and families that survived the Permian-Triassic Extinction Event. If I forgot any examples, please let me know and I’ll add the examples to the list promptly. Ammonoidea Prolecanitida Episageceras (Prolecanitid) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 254.0-247.2 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=13964 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00653.x Ceratitida Xenodiscus (Ceratite) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 268.0-247.2 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=14458 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00653.x https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.0907992106 Otoceras (Ceratite) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 252.3-247.2 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=14276 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00653.x https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/476/1/wignallpb2.pdf Ophiceras (Ceratite) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 254.0-247.2 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=14272 https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/3896 https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/136979/1/1-s2.0-S1871174X17300434-main-1.pdf Tompophiceras (Ceratite) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 252.3-251.3 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=14429 https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app58/app20110054.pdf Anderssoniceratidae http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=86838 Prionolobus (Ceratite) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 252.3-247.2 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=82362 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277925393_First_occurrence_of_temnospondyls_from_the_Permian_and_Triassic_of_Turkey_Paleoenvironmental_and_paleobiogeographic_implications https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/136979/1/1-s2.0-S1871174X17300434-main-1.pdf Paratirolites (Ceratite) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 254.0-247.2 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=14312 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272149073_Importance_of_Carbon_Isotopic_Data_of_the_Permian-Triassic_Boundary_Layers_in_the_Verkhoyansk_Region_for_the_Global_Correlation_of_the_Basal_Triassic_Layer https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00653.x Hypophiceras (Ceratite) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 252.3-251.3 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=82367 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272149073_Importance_of_Carbon_Isotopic_Data_of_the_Permian-Triassic_Boundary_Layers_in_the_Verkhoyansk_Region_for_the_Global_Correlation_of_the_Basal_Triassic_Layer https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361222295_Biotic_Response_to_Rapid_Environmental_Changes_During_the_Permian-Triassic_Mass_Extinction Metophiceras (Ceratite) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 252.3-251.3 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=93264 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00653.x https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921818118301322 Orthocerida https://sjpp.springeropen.com/articles/10.1007/s13358-019-00188-2 Belemnoidea Xiphoteuthididae http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=265569 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pala.12070 Nautilida Liroceratidae Paranautilus (Liroceratid) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 259-205 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=13256 https://www.cnidaria.nat.uni-erlangen.de/tersane/tersane-papers/Korn&Gliwa_2019_The morphospace of Late Permian coiled nautiloids.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327721272_Aly_MF_2001_Middle_Triassic_Cephalopods_from_the_Musandam_Peninsula_Northern_Oman_Mountains_United_Arab_Emirates_Geo_Soc_Egypt_45_1B_463-479 Tainoceratidae Aulametacoceras (Tainoceratid) (Middle Permian-Early Triassic, 272-242 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=13151 https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1207/report.pdf Germanonautilus (Tainoceratid) (Late Permian-Late Triassic, 254-201 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=13201 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/39311692.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327721272_Aly_MF_2001_Middle_Triassic_Cephalopods_from_the_Musandam_Peninsula_Northern_Oman_Mountains_United_Arab_Emirates_Geo_Soc_Egypt_45_1B_463-479 Holconautilus (Tainoceratid) (Late Permian-Late Triassic, 265-232 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=13216 https://www.cnidaria.nat.uni-erlangen.de/tersane/tersane-papers/Korn&Gliwa_2019_The morphospace of Late Permian coiled nautiloids.pdf https://sjpp.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13358-022-00263-1 Pleuronautilus (Tainoceratid) (Late Carboniferous-Late Triassic, 298-205 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=13270 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/39311692.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336065301_A_Changhsingian_late_Permian_nautiloid_assemblage_from_Gujiao_South_China Tainionautilus (Tainoceratid) (Late Permian-Early Triassic, 254.0-247.2 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=13314 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336065301_A_Changhsingian_late_Permian_nautiloid_assemblage_from_Gujiao_South_China https://www.pim.uzh.ch/apps/cms/_downloads/bruehwiler_2012_ammonoids_salt_range.pdf Grypoceratidae https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1207/report.pdf Syringonautilidae Syringonautilus (Syringonautilid) (Late Permian-Late Triassic, 254-232 Million Years ago) http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=13311 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/39311692.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292364105_Triassic_ammonoid_succession_in_South_Primorye_1_Lower_Olenekian_Hedenstroemia_bosphorensis_and_Anasibirites_nevolini_Zones I hope you all find this helpful?

Sometimes I'm an idiot. While I tend to be an early adopter for home and school technology, I've long resisted upgrading my phone. But I finally managed to step on my old clam shell Pantech (which both kids and colleagues laughed at). This past Wednesday my new Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro arrived. I'm now part of the smart phone 21st century. The Rugby Pro is the militarized version of the Galaxy, designed to survive both impacts and submersion. On this past Monday I also received a Google Nexus 10 tablet for free (part of the teacher professional development program I'm very involved in). Both the phone and the tablet use my Google account, and the same Android apps work on both (usually). Most of my fellow teachers started searching for educational apps this past week in our workshop. I started searching for apps to help me in the field. I found topographic map apps, GPS hiking apps, geological time scale apps, macro-photography apps, dip and strike apps, compass apps, and on and on and on. I realized something. First that I'd been an idiot for not adopting this technology sooner. But secondly I realized how much gear I could jettison. I used to consider my technology field kit to include my cell phone, a point and shoot camera, a car GPS, a field GPS, and at least on some trips a field microscope and a tablet or notebook computer. Most trips I would forget something, or forget to charge something, or forget the charger, or forget to carry it into the field. That seldom happened with my phone however. I can now carry one ruggedized device (and one charger) that will perform all the same duties--usually just as well and often better. I've found numerous valuable apps for field trips--but I'm still evaluating many of them. The one that I will recommend now is Stream Gauge Maps for Android from the Google Play Store (for free). Approximately 5,000 of the 6,900 U.S. Geological Survey sampling stations are equipped with telemetry to transmit data on streamflow, temperature, and other parameters back to a data base for real-time viewing via the World Wide Web. A map of the realtime stations is produced every day. This map service pulls from the US Geological Survey throughout the day. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gcsresearch.streamgauges&hl=en Moderators and admins--I believe this might be a good topic to pin in the collecting equipment forum. While I've been slow to join the smart phone universe, I'm sure many are already there and would love to learn of new apps for Fossil Tricorders.

For the last year I have been playing around with a variety of methods to create 3D models of my fossil collection. The end goal being to have my fossils available to other collectors all over the world to print their own on a 3D printer as I don't sell or send fossils out of New Zealand. My models can be downloaded for free: https://sketchfab.com/mamlambofossils If you want to print them and sell them, go for it! Just email me about it first so I know about it. My 3D printer is a Creality Ender 3 V2 Neo ($300 USD, $570 NZD) which is quite an entry level printer but I am getting great results. Photogrammetry I've tried out a number of free and paid for apps and found Reality Capture (https://www.capturingreality.com/) to give the best results. The payment model is that you pay per model you export. So you can generate as many as you want to, but to export it and share, you have to pay. I found it worked out to about $2 - $4 per model. Between 3D scanners and photogrammetry, photogrammetry gives you the best texture (not important for printing), but is WAY slower than a 3D scanner. 3D Scanning The RevoPoint Mini (https://www.revopoint3d.com/ - $960 USD) was a 3D scanner I backed on Kickstarter and I use this for scanning smaller objects as it has a very high resolution of 0.02mm. It's got a big brother, the POP 2 which I have as well, which is for larger objects. The software isn't as good as that of the MagicSwift and it can lose tracking easier if the fossil isn't on a turntable. The Revopoint scanners give a good texture and I used them to scan these models: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/plesiosaur-vertebra-from-new-zealand-b7ea650cc2f34177af9cce5ad9a442b5 (plesiosaur vert) https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/unknown-species-of-fossil-shell-from-new-zealand-512ac1cb27724fcab2350259e65bf195 (shell which photogrammetry couldn't handle because of the hollow section and broken bit) I got a MagicSwift Plus 3D scanner sent to me to and I found this to be the fastest option for scanning a fossil, I could get an object scanned and uploaded to Sketchfab.com within 20 mins, much faster than photogrammetry which can take an entire afternoon. It offers two options for the texture, a greyscale (fastest) or using a smartphone to capture photos and then lay it over the model. This usually gave good results but I also had some issues on one model where I had to redo it. It's about $1000 USD. https://store.3dmakerpro.com/products/magicswift-plus-3d-scanner If I was visiting a museum and wanted to make as many 3D models as I could in a short time, this would be my choice. Especially if the models were for printing where color and texture don't matter. Models I scanned with the MagicSwift: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/plesiosaurus-bone-cluster-new-zealand-611c6146581043cf8b5b4920f731d21a (plesiosaur vert cluster) https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/late-miocene-fossil-penguin-in-concretion-57ccc2aff7d44a3091d80370e6eada4c (penguin) Below is a video of me unboxing the MagicSwift and scanning a crab: My latest project is to print a life size Little Bush Moa from 3D models created by Daniel Thomas (Auckland Museum, Massey University). It's the smallest of the moa so I thought it would be quite a cool project to get into. Here are some of the leg bones I have printed so far. Here is a time-lapse of me printing one of the femurs. It took 20 hours: Drybrushing Anyone that has painted miniatures will be familiar with the drybrushing technique. I paint the model in black acrylic and then use drybrushing (removing most of the paint from the brush) to add highlights. Using this technique you can get really realistic results. The layers visible in this model was because I printed the crab horizontally instead of vertically - oops! I've since learnt not to do that!

"airplane mode" just means you phone wont send calls or alert you to calls. You cant really disable a modern phone short of breaking it open and ripping out the battery. (notice all modern phones are sealed so you cant take them out?) You can turn your phone off and its still contacting nearby phone relay towers and tracking your location. Whether or not you can still use data apps while in airplane mode really depends on the phone. Also, most phones have an internal GPS receiver, its just not very good alone, so they use cell tower pings to improve the accuracy.

I've been wondering if anyone on the forum has a favorite App or Apps they've found useful in searching for fossils? I haven't been able to locate any apps that focus on mapping your location in relation to underlying bedrock data, and it got me curious. Thanks! Have a good weekend!

Quick safety question regarding this chunk of pretty green rock I found. I was collecting on the salt river in Tonto National Forest, AZ, looking for jaspers and agates and such and I found this large chunk of what looks like serpentine. I’ve never found serpentine before, and I was reading about the asbestos concerns in regards to chrysotile in serpentine. Could I get an ID on this rock and if any of you have knowledge on it’s dangers and if I should chuck it out? It’s got a broken non tumbled side as seen in the photo. Not a great photo, apologies, let me know if you need more later on. (I used one of those AI based rock ID apps)

Take this interactive BLM map to see white colored areas that are private land. Superimpose the private land on top of Cedar Mountain Fm. layers to see where you can collect vertebrates with owner permission. https://blm-egis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6f0da4c7931440a8a80bfe20eddd7550

Ok, you are running around in the wilderness, in contrast to @Coco and me. That´s a little bit different. Probably quite often a "featureless" area or features would appear similar on a relief map (if available)? So, good GPS data are really crucial for you. Sorry, can not help any further with proper apps etc. Good luck! Franz Bernhard

Yes, I use it all the time. Its great for getting you back a spot, but dont expect it to be accurate to inches. OnX and ROCKD are my 2 main prospecting apps

I now have an LG G Pad 8.0 that is AT&T connected. Are there any map apps that I can get that are fossil useful? Any other apps? Tech Giant Brent Ashcraft

Are there size limits for photo upload? I'm not sure of the size, because different apps are reporting differently, but my Oneplus has a 64 MB camera... I'm going to make a test with the latest find from the back yard! No kidding.

School starts next week and my 10 yr old kiddo and I are both trying to extend summer as much as possible. We decided to go on a hunt yesterday afternoon. His focus was on the ever shrinking pools within the creek for turtles, snakes, and frogs, and my focus is on finding a mosasaur. It’s frustrating because I’m finding all sorts of shark and fish material but I have yet to stumble upon marine reptile. There seems to be several types of rock that yields teeth within the creek. The rocks range from dense shell mass, crumbly bits of pulverized things, light shell hash and shale, dark shale, sandy shale mix, and sandstone. After a bit of prospecting on loose rocks in the creek bed, I went to my go-to rock. This one rock is the most productive rock ever. It’s a big slab that was previous covered in water. It moves each time it rains, and teeth erode out from the bottom. Yesterday I loped off a 2ft section of the slab and explored it. At one point I uncovered a nice tooth that I was trying to gently break free. In doing so, I uncovered several additional teeth. In total, I probably found 15 ptychodus and 30 shark teeth. I've also posted a picture of a previous find of two teeth stacked, and of the various teeth we've found in a couple of trips. Most of the teeth are in the matrix so it takes some patience to work them free. Luckily the material is soft and crumbly, and can be worked with fairly easily. I might shift my focus to Dallas and try to do a road-trip hunt to a few spots along I-35 in Ellis, Tarrant, and Collin County for mosasaur. I'll read the old geology publications, paleontology papers, geology apps, and google maps, and jot down addresses to hunt. Probably a lot getting skunked but maybe one will pan out and I'll get that mosasaur tooth I'm after. Feel free to send a direct message if you can point us in the direction of the elusive marine reptile, or if you'd like to meet up and do some hunting.

Many more geo map apps to choose from. I use Rockd. I hear Mancos is good too. In the field you will need connectivity. I mark locals and then look them up later. Always compare to the written descriptions to confirm strata and age. The map apps are only so accurate: GIGO still holds.