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The Heard Museum in McKinney may not be the first place you think of for viewing fossils but they have a growing collection of locally found specimens including an Oligocece tortoise with an unusual view of the inside and a mosasaur left partly in the matrix to show how it was found. A couple of years ago they also started a program especially for amateur collectors. It's called "Collect it Yourself" and shows visitors what is possible for anyone with an interest in fossils to accomplish. Every six months a new collector brings enough material to fill the two display cases they set aside for this program and this time they are showing some of my collection from the famous Lost Creek dam site at Jacksboro Texas. The Finis Shale is a member of the Graham Formation in the Late Pennsylvanian Sub-period and is known for it's fossils with excellent perservation and an incredible level of diversity. I got lots of help with identification from Dr. Benjamin Neuman of Texas A&M University at Texarkana and other members of our Finis Shale Study Group hosted by Dr. Merlynd Nestell of U.T. Arlington. Lynne Hubner is the head of displays at the museum and did great job of arranging the 100+ fossils and making labels. All of them fit into one case except for one very large clam that filled another smaller case. The display will be there until some time in April. If you find yourself in the area this is a great place for a family stop. They also have hiking trails and many programs for all ages. here are the first two images of the display.