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Hi All, any thoughts on these specimens? Location is Roberts Mesa in Gila County, Arizona. (east of Payson) The red coral-like stems were found loosely on the ground very near the red trunk and gray matrix pieces. So I’m making some assumptions that the two are related as they were found maybe within 100 meters of one another. And the red stems above looked similar to the red trunks below of course. My first thoughts are some sort of coral but could they be a sponge instead? I’m assuming all are Naco Formation? Comments welcome. Photo size reference is in inches. cheers, DJ

I’m hoping to ID two fossils. The first fossil was found in the Boone Formation of Northwest Arkansas. My first thought is ammonite, but the spiral is much looser than what I’m seeing online. The second fossil was found 10-50 miles south of the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It was a while ago, can’t remember exactly where I was. Both are about an inch across. Thanks for your help!

I run across these guys frequently in the Mississippian Redwall Limestones around Arizona's Verde Valley. They are generally accompanied by lots of Crinoids and solitary Rugose Corals. They're always this oval shape with segmented structure. They look like an isopod, to me, but could be some other crustacean. Any help out there for the identification of these "bugs?"

Even though I fancy myself as a self-collector of fossils, I have always been interested and attended shows as they are excellent learning/networking venues. For the past few years, I have been attending the Quartzsite shows. The first times I attended, I was pretty lost since they are actually a series of shows, some overlapping, some not, at different venues. Very confusing. That's part of the charm though since there is much to like about these shows: they occur at a time of the year (winter) when nothing else is happening in much of the country, you can find excellent bargains, they are pretty relaxed due to the extended schedule of shows and they are mostly outdoors which has turned out to be a huge bonus in the age of COVID. My experience is that there are 3 shows for fossil enthusiasts worth mentioning: 1. Desert Gardens This is an RV Park turned into a rock, gem and mineral show typically from January 1 to February 28. Vendors occupy RV parking sized spots, which are larger than your typical venue's vending areas. The show hours are typical business hours seven days a week for 2 months. It is all outdoors and due to its long schedule, can be visited in addition to the other shows. The parking and atmosphere of this show tends to be a bit more relaxed than the others as well. The feel is more wholesale type business, but every vendor I've encountered will also gladly do business with the general public. The common refrain is, "I'll sell the whole table or individual specimens, just tell me what you're interested in and we'll make a deal." I estimate the number of vendors around 50-100. The reason for the wide number is that thanks to the long hours and period, some vendors may not be there or open when you come. Some may not even be fully set up if you go early in the year. 2. Tyson Wells Another RV Park just east of Desert Gardens on Kuehn Street. This is a 10 day show during the first couple of weeks of January, this year from January 7-16. The format of Tyson Wells is the first show is for Gems and Minerals. After that show is a "Sell-a-rama" flea market type show, followed by an Arts and Crafts show. What I saw was quite a few vendors setting up shop for all 3 shows, selling a variety of goods not related to rocks/gems/minerals/fossils. I attended the Gem and Mineral show in 2022, and rock/gem/mineral/fossil dealers were actually a minority, scattered here and there but mostly concentrated towards the eastern end of the show (the northwest corner of Kuehn and Central). If parking and traffic is a concern, you can try going early or late to beat the crowds. In talking to some vendors, it seems that many rock/gem/mineral/fossil vendors will set up show here, then decamp for Tucson afterwards. I estimated the number of dealers in the low double digits, but still worth checking out since you can have first look at their selection before Tucson. 3. Quartzsite Improvement Association (QIA) Pow Wow This is typically a weekend show, extending from Wednesday to Sunday during one of the last weeks of January, in 2022 from January 19-23. Vendors typically occupy no more than a handful of tables, with some inside the building but most outdoors. The vendors are what you would typically expect at your local rock/gem/mineral/fossil show, just much bigger and more than you find in your normal local gem/mineral club shows (~100 vendors). While you're in Arizona, the FLAGG show (one of the first weekends in January) is the biggest show in the Phoenix area. Again, a weekend show, the format is a tailgate show, vendors occupy parking spaces outdoors with typically a handful of tables, although some vendors (i.e. the FLAGG Foundation) occupy dozens of tables. The size of the show is comparable to the QIA show, but there is a far larger contingent of local gem/mineral/fossil clubs at FLAGG than QIA due to their focus on education and outreach. By the way, if you have children, this is a good show to attend as many exhibitors/vendors have gifts or activities for children. Following the January shows, you would then move onto the Tucson shows in February. In conclusion, if you had 2 months to spare and the means, you can attend a world-class show every day for 2 months in Arizona(!!). For the rest of us, that kind of lifestyle will always be the dream while we save our pennies.

This is supposably a Dinosaur egg bought in 1982 at "The Arizona rock & Mineral Museum" I think that museum is long gone, but is the Egg real? Its supposed to be a Parasaurolophus egg.

Hi everyone, There is a fossil that was found in a wash at the level of the kaibab formation below a pour over. It was found in two separate pieces. Shortly up the wash is the moenkopi formation and above that is Pliocene to Miocene basaltic rocks. The formation above the kaibab was a conglomerate of many different rocks eroding out of the hill and into the wash. The moenkopi is the most recent formation besides the basalt in that area. I did my best to match the formations to the area, but I am basing my information off the geological maps for the location. The Chinle formation is about the only one I know by sight. Let me know if you need more information. I couldn't find anything other than small marine fossils listed when searching that area in PBDB.

Hey there! I was recently given this beautiful chunk of petrified wood. I have found pieces through the years but this is the first I've ever seen with crystals which has intrigued me to learn about them more. I was wondering if this piece is possibly burned wood? It came from somewhere around the Mesa Arizona area I think I'm still trying to confirm that but definitely Arizona. Other then knowing it is petrified wood I would like to hear any info anyone may can give about it.

Hi! Someone directed me to this forum for a possibility of ID'ing these pieces. I collected these loose on the ground the day after a very heavy rain and hail storm, near a wash bed just north of the Whispering Pines area outside Payson, AZ. Someone suggested they might be fossil coral. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

First picture is a clavicle impression which has bone imbedded in the rock. Second is a vertebral or cranial bone. The rest are bone fragments.

This is a very strange piece , with out me even saying anything about I please help my understand what I have and what you feel u see , thanks ...

I’ve found these rocks near my track fossils and petrified wood. Can anyone shed any light on them?

These are a few of the more unusual tracks I’ve found. The tridactyl looking tracks are really interesting since they shouldn’t be here in mid-Triassic. The one that looks like a human foot is particularly creepy

IMG_2038.MOV Here’s a video of my collection as of May. I numbered them a while back and got to 185. That doesn’t include the trackway pieces or what I’ve added since then. It’s been almost exactly two years since I found the first track. Not bad for a sixty year old guy working alone lol.

Hey y'all! I'm Sheena and I'm a newbie to the fossil world, I'm big into rock hounding and mineral hunting. I live in Globe, Arizona and my backyard is a playground full of rocks, fossils, minerals! Cant wait to read up on y'all's finds and learn more about the fossil world.

I have found many Pennsylvanian sponge roots in an isolated area of the Naco Formation near Payson, Arizona. The sub parallel root fibers range in size from 0.2 to 1.2 mm in diameter. The roots are often found growing/covering crinoid columnal sections. Near Pine and at my site the roots are found where Chaunactis olsoni sponges are the most common, but not the only sponge species present. Now I need to find a sponge with roots attached to ID the species of the roots. It is unknown if the silicified roots were originally silica or calcite. I noticed that there are grooves from and matching the diameter of the roots in originally calcitic crinoid columnals and head pieces. What caused these grooves? Two hypothesis: the silica roots grew over the softer calcitic crinoid pieces rubbing grooves into them as the currents caused the roots to sway. Second: the roots had living tissue on the outside that secreted acid that caused the grooves. Knowledge of extant sponge anatomy might help answer this question. Photo 1: average root diameter about 0.6 mm. Photos 2 and 3: detail of first photo. Photo 3: roots growing around section of crinoid columnals with grooves in columnals. Dilliard, Kelly & Rigby, J. Keith. 2001. The new demosponges, Chaunactis olsoni and Haplistion nacoense, and associated sponges from the Pennsylvanian Naco Formation, Central Arizona. Brigham Young University Geology Studies. 46. 1-11. http://geology.byu.edu/Home/sites/default/files/geo_stud_vol_46_dilliard_rigby.pdf @TqB

hello everyone, I'm a newbie here and with fossils and hoping y'all's experience can help me out...I live in Globe, Az and I find some awesome rocks and minerals...however I know nothing about fossils...I found this HUGE rock last year and everyone that see's thinks it might be fossils? I do know the area was underwater "back in the day"...so we have lots of limestone conglomerates that formed. The first picture is of a oval shape something that might be a fossil... it's roughly 4" by 2" width. It has lots of texture to it. The parts I'm asking about that might be bone fossils is at it's tallest is 1 1/2 foot tall and roughly 4-5" wide at the top. There are two of the "bones" one in from of the other and they are the same shape and size. The rock itself is roughly 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 feet tall/wide Weighs roughly 150 pounds. Thank you in advance for help! Sheena Globe, Az.

Dating Craters: Wolfe Creek is younger Meteor Crater older, than previously thought https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/dating-craters-wolfe-creek-is-younger-meteor-crater-older-than-previously-thought https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191121121811.htm The paper is: Barrows, T.T., Magee, J., Miller, G. and Fifield, L.K., 2019. The age of Wolfe Creek meteorite crater (Kandimalal), Western Australia. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 54(11), pp.2686-2697. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/maps.13378 Yours, Paul H.

Been finding a few of these types of tracks recently. Will be curious to see if they actually are tridactyl dinosaurs.

Hello wonderful fossil-people! If you and you're gang enjoy solving a groovy mystery, I have a post for you! This rock was found in an area of Northern Arizona that is very well know for producing lots and lots of bryozoan, brachiopod, and crinoid fossils, as well as crystals and geodes. The bit of rock in question was found in the side of what appears to be a broken geode. There is a triangular fragment of stone that does not match the material surrounding it. There is also a white discoloration encompassing the triangle that I've highlighted in green on one of the photos below. The colors in the 3rd photo are a little more true to what it looks like in real life. The geode is kind of a pink-ish color and the triangle "fossil" is a dark brown/reddish color. Given the abundance of marine fossils found in the same location, I wonder if this is also fossil. It just seems so out of place in this rock. I have oodles of bryozoan, brachiopod, & crinoids that I've found in the same location and I can share pictures of these, if it somehow helps So what do you think, fossil or random bit of stone? If it is a fossil give me your best guess as to what it might be... or even give me your worst guess. I'm not picky lol.

Possible Triceratops Horn and many other dinosaur parts.

Several days ago I ventured to a Devonian desert locality near Superior, Arizona. I found the largest fossilized coral colony that I have ever found: 2 ft across. A giant Iowaphyllum nisbeti coral was covered over it’s entire length with several inches of a stromatoporoid sponge. I should have taken a photo, but it was not very photogenic; it looked like a white ledge in cross section. First photo is a piece of light colored Iowaphyllum nisbeti coral covered with a medium gray calcitic stromatoporoid coral that is about 8 inches across. The top of the coral is pointed up. The second photo shows a detail of the stromatoporoid with horizontal layers and faint vertical pillars Nearby I found a partly silicified stromatoporoid 5 inches across that may be the same as the one mentioned above. This is probably the best hand sample of a stromatoporoid that I have found since the vertical pillars are so prominent. Only about 20% of the pillars are easily visible. Pillars differentiate stromatoporoid sponges from stromatolites which show only horizontal (to the growing direction) layers. See up close section of the stromatoporoid in the last photo. See an Iowaphyllum nisbeti in Collections: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/collections-database/cnidarians/corals/iowaphyllum-nisbeti-oliver-1978-r1966/