Search the Community

Hi there! I'm a botanist who bought a cool ammonite at a rock show as a present for a friend. I ended up keeping it, and have since gotten quite a few others. I'm interested in getting better at identifying ammonites and joined this forum because there don't seem to be many ammonite ID resources available, and I am itching to figure out some of my mystery specimens. I am also planning a trip to the high desert east of the Sierra Nevadas to look at wildflowers and fossil beds next spring and would love some recommendations.

Hey guys, I dont really know what this could be, maybe just rock, but the color, shape, texture made me think twice - specifically the curved smooth bottom, sharp sides that curve strangely and just the shape in general. At first glance i thought it looked like a meteorite because of the flow-line'esque texture it has in some parts and the bottom side was smooth with little holes with some thumb print 'ish indents, and its darn heavy. But then it also reminded me of some marine mammal and large reptile fossil bones I've seen on here while perusing so I thought I'd ask. Also because of some other things I have found, which I want to ask about as well but dont want to spam all at once. Actually I'll post two of the other things too Found in Menlo Park, California about ~12" inches in ground, maybe slightly deeper. Menlo Park is considered Pleistocene/Holocene alluvial but there have been cretaceous foraminifers found in the towns surrounding Menlo Park. And then there was the paleoparadoxia found during the excavation of the Stanford Linear Accelerator as well, which is about a mile away from me, and they are from the Miocene I believe. Also after reading the USGS geological map survey of my area it seems that theres out crops from every time period, mostly due to the gazillion faults in SF bay area. So Im not really sure what I'm living on. Anyways.. The second rock looks like it has a mouth and some teeth which I found interesting. The third looks like a shell on the one curved end, but also like a saurapelta armor plate I've seen in photos before. Appreciate any thoughts, and if it is rock, do you know what kind? Thanks for your time and feedback!

I have been here at the forums for quite sometime now ( I think since I found my first fossils on a trip to Missouri close to 20 years ago?!) Work and life has been very busy and had prevented me from anything more than online hunting, you tube video's, and the lack of actual sites close to where I currently live. (Currently I live above the San Joaquin Valley, in a small mountain community named North Fork. I have had wonderful years here hunting arrow heads and various rocks and minerals, Have found many crystals at the old gold mine sites which are numerous over in Mariposa county next to me, and have had a great time up here! However, I took a trip to Missouri many moons ago to help a family member relocate out here to Nevada, which is when the unexpected happened. When we went to rent the moving truck to begin loading, my mom went inside to handle the rental, and as per my "norm" I took off walking across an open fields with, eyes to the ground,, towards the back of the lot and behind the row of trucks parked ready for rent, towards the railroad tracks. I was finding different minerals and such and then by chance I kicked over a plain down rudy clay looking rock, when I noticed it had a pattern to it. I looked closer and it was a plant fossil ! I was ecstatic, and thrilled does not even begin to cover it. I found several more all of different varieties when I began to notice what the 'commonalities' were with the ones I was finding. From that point on I was hooked! I made several trips back there just for the rock hunting and had found many wonderful 'treasures' which I cherished. I then began to explore more of Missouri to see what else there was to find in this state, and lets put it this way, the first thing on my bucket list is to return to Missouri!!! It got even better, after having my eyes opened so to speak as when we left there we headed to a ranch to spend the night that was owned by family back there. They have an 80 acre ranch. When we got there and I stepped out of the truck, I looked down and could NOT believe my eyes. There were fossils just laying around and exposed all up and down the dirt road which lead from the highway and into the 80 acres. I hunted for the rest of that evening and found more treasures. I have never forgotten that trip, and like I said I plan on gong back there one day before I die, and attempt to find more of those little treasures which made so darned happy so many years ago....and the family back there still owns the ranch too! I have since retired due to disability (heart) and find I have more time available than money naturally, so I am here to begin exploring what is available or close by where I live now, and also any near Fernley NV.. where I spend several months at at time there helping my Mom. I have small amounts of silver in quartz rock, (no gold yet though) many heads, awesome crystals, but my real desire is to find more fossils! So if anyone has any information or recommendations for me I would love to know about them! I am aware of the fossils found down in the Valley at the old landfill dump site in Madera, (wooly mammoth bones, sabre tooth tiger etc.) and I have heard of a dry creek bed somewhere down around the town of Dos Palos and of course Shark Hill and the Ernst Quarries and Ant Hill which is now closed. However its a vast area there, with miles and miles of open high desert area, which leads me to hope that those are not the ONLY areas where one can hunt for sharks teeth and other sea life fossils. Here's to hope! and forgive my long winded introduction but I am happy to be here once again and I'm looking forward to getting to know other members here. Thank you! Debra

Hi there! My name is Karah , I am from Southern California. I found this forum while searching for information about raptor eggs. I am hoping to find out some information on them, which I will post soon. I have recently gained an interest in fossils, I collect mostly coins and crystals. However some of my crystals are formed on fossils such as stromatolite. I am excited to be part of the forum and learn more about fossils!

Hey guys and gals, While this isn't a fossil, I was wondering, if any of you had the time, could you help me ID this bone, as many of you are good at that sort of thing and I am clueless. Found in Menlo Park, CA. Still doing yard work when I have time and I came across this. Thanks for your help in advance! Hope everyones having a good day.

Hi, I'm from California and have been interested in fossils and dinosaurs for years, but was recently able to go on a dino dig in Wyoming where my interest grew! Then I found this forum online and thought it would be a good way to learn more and get help identifying when I start finding fossils here in California. Does anyone know of any sites in Northern California?

Any mineral collectors on the forum ever heard (or collected) "rainbow" obsidian in the northeast corner of California? I just happened upon this link and I find the stuff fascinating (and beautiful): http://www.geologyin.com/2017/08/california-rainbow-obsidian-is-natural.html They make mention that it is possible to collect a set amount at various mines in the Modoc National Forest. It would make for a great reason for a trip to this area. Wondering if any here on the forum have checked this out yet. Cheers. -Ken

Hi everyone, I’m new to this community but have always had an interest in fossils and artifacts. This week I was in So California for work and walked down to the beach one night and found this. It looked like a large shark tooth but it didn’t look like images online. I’ve seen Megalodon teeth before and this looks like a petrified version. If it’s just a rock, that’s okay too. Thanks in advance for your responses.

Hi I recently joined this forum and I need help to identify what type of fish fossil. My dad gave it to me several years ago and don't really know much about it so can someone identify it

I joined with the hopes that someone here may know more about Natlandite fossil stone. My wife inherited a polished three piece set and unfortunately there is very little information available about it online. Within the two articles I could find we have learned that "it was first discovered in 1954 in Los Angeles, Ca. by geologist Manley L. Natland, during a small dig he made in his offices backyard. He was given a rock brought up during soil testing for an annex to the old Atlantic Richfield Building at 6th and Flower streets. Natland estimated the fossil stone to be between 5 to 7 million years old and said that it was likely formed when an earthquake dislodged a great mass of sludge from the Los Feliz area (then the seashore) and moved it to the Arco site, where it solidified. He had it cut and polished, revealing shells of bivalves, gastropods and coral in a marble like material, but thought no more about it until 1969, after he had retired from Atlantic Richfield, now Arco. That year, he asked to examine the excavation site where the building and it's annex were being torn down to make way for Arco towers, now known as City National Plaza. What he found was an entire bed of the fossil stone that he had seen years earlier. Natland arranged to have 500 tons of it hauled away and eventually had the rock cut and shaped into tables and statuary. The rock is about as hard as quartz and it contains about 350 different species. It was also named the official gemstone of Los Angeles in 1981." I have spoken with a paleontologist here at our local museum of natural history and he stated that he believes that some record of the stones should be preserved in a museum, if that has not already happened. He gave me the contact information of a paleontologist at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and suggested that I contact them, as they would be the most appropriate place to store such fossils. They are absolutely beautiful pieces and any info or suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for taking time to read my post. Brandon Massey

Can this be identified? Found at Huntington Beach in California.

Hello, I am new to the site, but I am a life long lover of all things nature. I found this little guy on the coast of California, most likely in San Simeon but possibly 30 minutes south, at Moonstone Beach. I found him about a year ago in August. He looks to be 6 1/2 centimeters. To forewarn everyone, I have little knowledge of history in terms of time periods, and am largely unfamiliar with geology as well such as rock types. I will describe as best I can per your requests. Please bear with me while I attempt to learn! Anyways, here he is. I believe him to be an ammonite but he has no spiral. Maybe a squid? Not even sure he is classified as a fossil, haha... Finally, thank you all so much for any and all responses, my scientific curiousity greatly appreciates it! Sincerely, Tyler North

Hi all, can anyone tell if this is a dolphin tooth, and what species it is? It's a gift from @JBMugu It comes from Sharktooth Hill of Bakerfield, California. Round Mountain Silt Member of the Temblor Formation. It measures 1.7 inches long. Could it be Kentriodon?

Hello, I am Richard from Chinese Camp CA. I live atop the Mariposa Formation which is late Jurassic. I try to go fossil hunting every weekend. The quality of fossils is not great, but I regularly find ammonites and buchia, and less often belemnites (and a few oddities I haven't identified). I was born in England and found an ammonite when 5 or 6. I've loved fossils since them (I'm 50) and take my son out hunting for them regularly. I spent 11 year in the US Navy on submarines, and the last 20 at a research lab. To all of you: Best of luck collecting, learning, and enjoying fossils! Richard

Hey guys, Now that the weather has warmed up a bit Ive been back doing some yard work... and that means I get to bother you all with some more questions about what I've found !! So while doing some digging to run some irrigation lines, Ive been finding a lot of what appears to be clam and/or mussel shells?? I have naively posted in the past about what I thought might be possible coprolites (basically I saw a photo or two on google and connected them). But now after some time and some further research, I think some of the rocks that I posted before were actually large clams or mussels as well. The weird thing about some of these rocks though is that they seem to have retained some color. For example it appears that the body coming out of the shell of the first rock I'll post still has its colors? Like it was preserved somehow before turning into a rock? Everything tells me this is impossible... However if they are just conglomerates like others have said in the past, why would the "body" part of this rock be uniquely colored from the rest of the "shell". Is it just coincidence that this conglomerate rock has the clearly defined shape of a shell, and separate colors and composition for its shell and body? The other rocks I've found that are similar to this one all look kinda the same in that they have layers, almost like they were "folded" or "melted" on to eaechother for lack of a better word. Are there actually ways that animals could be preserved if the conditions were right? I live on mud pretty much, or thick silty mud. Could some combination of salt water, heat, some random chemical reactions, and since they are clams they could easily be packed under the mud, create an environment where it would dry, sort of like jerky lol? If this sounds crazy just let me know lol. Any comments or insight is appreciated! Ill post some others that I think could be fossils as well, the traditional kind. Previously I was told that I wouldn't find any fossils because of my location but currently I'm digging into what seems like a bed of some sort of mollusk. Also theres random sections and chunks of what looks like concrete but its not, its like hardened sandstone /limestone that I have found some interesting rocks in as well. Thanks for your time!

I found this some years back at Pescadero Beach in California. I don't know if it's fossilized but if it is I think it would be from the Tertiary. Any help much appreciated.

I found this earlier this year, can't figure out what it is. The more I look at it the more I think coprolite. Let me know what you think.

While descending from the top of our hike up Mission Peak in Fremont, CA, a friend and I came across what we suspect is a fossilized vertebrae. After doing some quick research online, I came across the following excerpt: "Some 3 miles east of the low hills and lying in the Mission District is a much taller ridge, Mission Peak, 2517 feet above sea level. Millions of years before the Pleistocene, sediments that now compose the Mission Peak ridge were deposited by both marine and fresh waters. These sediments are now a rich source of marine fossils, many of them clams and snails. Also, remains of Desmostylus, a mammal with characteristics between those of a sea cow and a walrus, have been found among the remains of seashells. These fossils were buried under marine water during the late Miocene time, or about 12,000,000 years ago. The Miocene is one of seven epochs of the Cenozoic era." Source: http://cnhm.msnucleus.org/Pleistocene/FossilBearingSediments.html I failed to take a measurement, but as I recall this object was about the size of a lemon. Can anyone help confirm if this is a vertebrae or provide any additional information? Thanks for your help!

These fossils, amoung a few other, have been sitting in my curio cabinet for decades. My parents were the first homeowners in a brand new subdivision in Mission Viejo in 1967. When the backyard was dug up for a sprinkler system, they found this pair, which look like an egg. They are not matching pieces, I don't believe. They are about 3 1/2 inches long.

I found this while out for a hike, it was in the eroded runoff ditches on the trail. It has a symmetry that seems biological to me, but that could be wishful thinking. What do you think? Thanks

Hey guys! Found this on my property again. (Menlo Park, CA) I no longer assume anything haha but I think this is a bone, possibly a rib? It is slightly over 3 inches long, and 1 inch wide If it is, is there anyway to tell what it's from, or at least generally speaking? or how old it might be? Like within the past 100 years? ? I really have no idea about these things... As always thanks for your help and patience with a newb!

The Lomita Marl Member of the San Pedro Formation is a well-known source for Middle Pleistocene marine fossils, and its beautifully preserved molluscan fauna has been treasured by fossil fanatics for decades. There are outcrops in the city of San Pedro, California, although many of the "classic" localities have been destroyed by urban development. It is well-exposed in the Lomita Quarry, located in the Palos Verdes Hills northwest of the city. It has been dated at 400,000 to 570,000 years ago, about equivalent to the Santa Barbara Formation, which occurs further north along the California coast near the city of the same name. The Lomita Marl is also an extremely rich source for microfossils, as ostracodes and forams are both very abundant and easy to extract from the matrix. Most taxa in these two groups are still extant off the southern coast of the state, but a significant proportion of the fauna appears to be extinct. (One must hedge here, as the ostracode fauna of the Pacific coast of the United States is not very well known; the forams are better documented.) A small sample of washed residues has given me the opportunity to begin study of this interesting fauna, and I hope to show some images of taxa from both groups on this blog. This first entry will look at four ostracode taxa, selected simply because they are relatively easy to identify. (Much of the ostracode fauna is known only in "open nomenclature", as in "Aurila sp. A", meaning that the species has not been recognized or is undescribed.) Bythocypris elongata Le Roy, 1943 is easy to recognize. It is common, and appears to be the only member of the genus to be found in the Lomita. It is a member of the family Bythocyprididae, which are smooth, and some would say "uninteresting" as a consequence. As is normal in the family, the anterior end of the valve is broader and a bit more inflated than the posterior end. The remaining three taxa are all members of the large family Hemicytheridae, a group with interesting surface ornamentation: Aurila driveri (Le Roy, 1943) is one of the several members of the genus to be found in the Lomita, and the only one (as far as I am concerned), that is easily recognizable. The high-arched dorsum and strong ventral flange place it in the large genus Aurila, and the prominent anterio-ventral teeth are characteristic only of this species. The caudal process is low on the posterior margin, and bears fine denticles. Australicythere californica (Hazel, 1962) is relatively large at roughly one millimeter in length, and is more elongate than most hemicytherids. There is no caudal process, but typically 3-4 large posterio-ventral teeth. The lower half of the anterior margin has some small denticles, rather worn on this specimen. The valve outline is quite distinctive for this species. Hemicythere hispida Le Roy, 1943 is probably the easiest ostracode from the Lomita to identify, and is quite abundant. This image does not do it justice, due to the lack of 3-D. Under a stereo microscope it looks almost "furry", as the entire valve surface is covered with round-ended tubercles. (The lack of 3-D here is due to the excess white matrix obscuring all but the ends of the tubercles.) This species also has a particularly prominent eye tubercle, seen here at the anterior edge of the dorsal margin -- under the microscope this tubercle appears somewhat shiny, rather like glass. (I had to sacrifice the shine to get decent illumination of the rest of the valve.) To make these images, the specimens were simply laid flat on the inside of the lid of a micromount box. Not very sophisticated, but it gives a nice black background -- at the expense of making the specimen a bit more difficult to illuminate evenly. And it's quick and simple........... That's it for this entry. I will try to illustrate some of the many forams to be found in the Lomita in a future blog entry.

hey guys, I'm back and probably don't have a fossil again haha but one of these days I will! I was wondering if anyone could help me ID this. I have found many rocks that are a similar shape to this. it tends to be difficult for me to tell from online pictures/descriptions, mostly because I’ll see shale and be certain its shale, but then I’ll see a picture of basalt, a random dark colored limestone rock, piece of chert, or even a fossil sloth claw or fossil tooth and then just have no idea because it could be any of the five depending on what photo I’m looking at haha. This is actually a very common problem I am having when trying to identify many different rocks (or possibly fossils) as my interest in fossils, rocks, minerals, and geology has recently grown. Also if anyone has any recommendations for a good intro book on fossils or rocks/minerals I’d love to hear them!! Maybe something more informative/technical than average kids book but not too academic/jargon-heavy/scientific/dry like a research paper would be awesome! Sorry about the link, imgur doesn't limit my upload size and my new iPhones pictures are massive so I have to resize to less than 50% in order to attach here. hope that's ok. there are 3 different rocks in the album, they are labeled. Menlo Park, CA according to the USGS survey of the bay area, I live in the Holocene alluvial section, bordering the Pleistocene alluvial section if that helps at all? found doing yard/landscaping work. its about 5 inches long but that's not exact, I can measure if needed. thanks in advance for any help and input!! https://imgur.com/a/IplRv

I recently went rock collecting in the Calico Mountains just off the 15, 10 miles E of Barstow. Online, I found mention of Celestine and Colemanite in the area. I picked these samples from a small seem. It does not dissolve in vinegar. These pieces have been rinsed in water but in the photos, they are dry. Thank you.