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Dear forum members, I have just joined the forum and need your help for ammonoid identification. Although I´m an aquatic biologist of extant animals, my knowlege is very limited regarding fossil creatures. I´ve just acquired two ammonoid display specimens through the family of a deceased Japanese-Brazilian regarded merchant of ornamental stones. These pieces belonged to his private collection and didn´t receive a data tag because the informations were in his mind. His family only recalls those ammonoids to have been brought from Japan many years ago, but most likely have originated elsewhere. In this message I´m attaching pictures of the first ammonoid up to the allowed 3.95 MB volume, but may provide more specific pictures if desirable. I will be delighted to have any information on this animal. Thanking for your kindness, Best regards Ricardo

Hello everyone, I'm an Italian amateur collector with a small but nice collection of fossils and minerals that I started when I was 5yo in 1995. Then at 15yo I put apart my passion until few days ago when, using my 3D printer, I made some nice modular drawer to reorder in my collection of +-1000 pieces. I will finish the project in the next weeks and I will share it with you, as it can be of inspiration for your collection as well. Doing this hard work, I looked with a more mature point of view some big fossils that my parents and friends (not experts!) gave me as present many years ago. I already noticed that some are painted or assembled, but I would like to hear your opinion about them. #1 Let's start with a good one. This was a present from my mom, so I know she spent not few moneys to buy this fossil fish. I think that it 99% real. My only concern is the right side/section of the matrix that has a change in color (you can see it in the video). Maybe just a not-too-bad restoration... I drew circles around fishes with the pencil when I was a child... I should delete them! #2 Now a bad one... In this example I noticed that maybe the fish body is real (but low quality), it is mounted on a new matrix, and fins are painted... Am I right? #3 Another bad one... This ammonoidea seems painted. The matrix has some fossil shells, it is cracked and repaired (you can see the crack in the video, back side). I'm wondering if it is totally fake/sculpted or only painted. What do you think? #4 The last assembled fossil fish. This one is funny! Sedimentary layers are not parallel with the fossil... Overall I think that the body is real but bad preserved and with some painting. What do you think? #5 This was one of the first fossils of my collection. I personally bought it in Morocco in 1995. I think that this is a real one, joint is perfect. Agree with me? #6 Finally, the last piece: a cambropallas trilobite. About this one, I know that it was bought in a good shop and I think it is not too bad. I'm not sure about the matrix (see the back side), but the main body seems real. It, of course, has some restorations. I'm looking to hear from you. Final thoughts... I'm considering giving away false ones, in particular #2, #3 and #4. But it is also nice to have them to show how fossils are faked/retouched - I think they're part of the amateur paleontology history. I hope you appreciate the photos/videos I took to show some of my fossils. Thanks in advance and best regards!

The included photograph shows a fossil that we can’t quite place. Would any of you be able to positively identify the fossil we found at Portmarnock Beach, Ireland. We think it may be Estonioceras but are not sure. It is approximately 7cm in diameter. Can anybody shed some light on this. Thanks.

I found these fossils in Polvoeira beach, Portugal. I spent many time trying to identify them and research about the geological formations where they were found....However, I need that someone help me verify if those Id's are correct. So: 1-Found in Sinemurian layers, in Praia da Polvoeira (Polvoeira beach)- My guess it's :very weathered Pachymya sp.