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I am attaching photos of a fossil found in a cold water spring in Texas, that I call the Luvasourus. You cannot really see everything in these pictures. The location in Texas where it was found (along with many others) is a spring with a water temp below 65 degrees. It is unique for Texas, and no one has ever seen anything quite like this. It has been reviewed by three Universities in Texas, a Paleontologist, and several others. At this point I have been told it is probably pre-dinosaur, possibly petrified, possibly a species of Brighstoneus, or even the claw of a raptor, and baby T-rex. No one knows, so posting on here to the REAL EXPERTS! I have collected fossils over 50 years. This is unique and need help. Any advice is appreciated. Side A: three footed claw foot with visible claws. One of the claws goes into side B. There is a space in between side a and b that looks like shale or limestone. Side B: Skull with teeth. Claw of Side A goes into the teeth of the skull. you must zoom in to see the teeth but two defined rows of teeth. Skull of ? The bottom circular piece fits directly into the space to the right, measuring 2.5". I believe this may be a petrified brain. In between side A and B is a space filled with what appears to be limestone or shale. The rock has a similar texture of that of a meteorite - burned looking, but caramel color, not black. In the pictures it does not show very well, but when you apply water to it, the appearance is caramel colored and looks like a clay has hardened on the mouth area of side B. When the artifact is wet, it takes on a caramel color, similar to a meteorite's color where it was burnt, but caramel colored. I will gladly do a facetime or video with someone who is an expert, as these pictures do not show everything very well. IMG 9255 - looking from nose back towards back of skull side B. IMG 9260 - side A - one of the claws of the foot. The claw is going into the teeth of side B. Zoom in to see two rows of teeth, and where the claw actually smashed the tooth. IMG 9264 - view of claw side A. Notice the dark brown areas. These areas turn caramel when wet. Notice the circular indention. This is where the leg of the claw would be located. IMG 9263 - Side B Skull. Notice from left to right = visible teeth on bottom, visible snout. Remove middle round portion and move to indented space to right bottom area - fits perfectly. The eye socket is located top middle, then back of skull. The Brighstoneus recently found has similar characteristics on the snout/nose area. I am not an expert, however I believe this is very important to someone. Please contact me if you have any questions.

I've been finding what I believe are eggs of prehistoric animals mainly turtles or tortoises. I've been told they are rocks so I decided to sand one down and discovered what looks to be a turtle inside. I'm I have not been able to find others with turtles inside but realize they didn't hatch for a reason either they weren't fertilized or they were or died before they were hatched. Alsoi am currently homeless and do not have a lot of resources at my disposal (besides time) or the knowledge of what I'm doing. The larger egg has a brown leathery patch covering approx a quarter of the egg.

I am doing some research on dromaeosaur bones, and I only found limited data and pictures on the web. I am particularly looking for caudal vertebrae and ribs pictures and structures. So I make an attempt towards TFF members knowledge and data !

Inspired by @daves64 pictures, I decided to try out a Dino Lite for myself. I tried the AF4915ZTL model. I knew I wanted image stacking capabilities, which Dino-Lite calls Extended Depth of Field (EDOF), Automatic Magnification Reading (AMR) since an accurate scale bar was a priority and a long working distance for larger specimens so that helped narrow down the model. There are definitely pros and cons about it, but I'll let the results do the talking. Taken using EDOF: Taken using EDOF as well: Taken using the Extended Dynamic Range (EDR) feature: Taken using EDR: Taken using EDOF: Taken using EDR:

Why is Tyrannosaurus the only dinosaur that is mainly referred to by the genus name and the species name? I mean, nobody talks about T. horridus or D. longus but nobody also just talks about plain Tyrannosaurus.

Hi everyone. I have a question, or rather I would like the opinion of all of you as fossil collectors and lovers of the life of the past, both amateurs and professionals. The truth has little that I entered the world of paleontology, and the truth does not cease to amaze; I have barely 5 or 6 months researching everything about life in the past, and throughout the months I always see the same debate between people that for sure, is nothing new for all of you. The problem of whether to collect fossils or not. I recently read right here in the forum about a very controversial paleontologist who repudiates the collection of all kinds of fossils, and a few days ago, once again the debate was ignited by the sale of a complete skeleton of a triceratops to an apparently private collector . I personally do not have fossils yet, but later if I want to buy some so I do not reject the idea of collecting, I find it a bit of conflict since in a certain part both positions have their apparent reason. For example, thanks to some private collectors several discoveries have been made. Just to give an example, I would mention Tullimonstrum that I think was discovered in a private collection and later studied, so it is a point in favor of those who collect fossils. But it is true that the private collection can also delay the process of studying the specimen since not all collectors are willing to lend their fossils, although in this part I believe that most of them would, but we must not forget that all people don't act the same. I can assume that the majority of collectors who do not lend their fossils (speaking of fossils of scientific importance, non-commercial and common) is because perhaps they occurred the fossils illegally, which is not a surprise, but I do not want to go into detail about illegal fossils. The purpose of this post is not to discuss, point out, or criticize anyone. From my point of view, both ideas are valid and have their good and bad points. But I really would like the opinion of you who have a lot of experience and who obviously have their personal fossils. Thank you all and a big hug.

Just received my first Raptor tooth for my collection, an Acheroraptor temertyorum. Photos show it's new home and comparison with the other Theropod teeth i currently have...

Got a guy from Tiawan who has these oviraptor eggs from Jiangxi. He tells me he can legally export them. They look good to me but would like some input from you pros. Thanks so much RB

Anybody have any idea what this is ?

What is this???

So I went to the beach, to find this tooth looking fossil. I am unsure on whether it is anything special and need to know just in case here is a pic. of it

Hi! This is my first time here so may i most embarrassingly start by asking if this is even a tooth? Found along Red Deer River in Alberta a few km south of Tolman Bridge (in Horseshoe Canyon formation). I found it washed up in an erosion channel. Thank you, Danno/

This is probably going to be a long post, so I hope you're bored! This is an area I have wanted to visit since I was a little kid and first wanted to be a Paleontologist. Unfortunately, this area was a long way from my family's normal vacationing route so I never made it. One of my other past-times is running. I got into running half marathons and then decided I wanted to run one in every state. I was supposed to come last year, but, well, covid sucked the fun out of everything. Anyway, Vernal Utah (known as dinosaurland and home to the Dinosaur National Monument) hosts an annual dino-themed half-marathon. I mean, come on, how can I NOT run this race??! So, my shift at the fire dept ended at 7am this morning, and at 7:01 I was on the road in Oklahoma. I have to say, being a fossil hunter sucks as you drive! Driving up the Kansas 281, just shy of I-70 there is a very nice uplift with lots of cuts and looks to be a lot of shale. I wanted to stop and inspect some interesting road cuts, but I had zero time to waste. So I drove past fossil lake, onto I -70 towards Colorado. I waved hello as I passed by the Sternberg in Hays, and I spotted a sign for another museum (the Fick or Frick, I cant remember) so I will have to go back and visit when I have more time. Of course lots nice chalky outcrops visible driving through that part of Kansas, an so many wonderful fossils buried. The bad part about driving through this part of the country is that every mile looks pretty much the same. Hour after hour of the same flat plains and wind turbines. I made my only stop for fuel in Limon. 500 miles and only about halfway there. I finally caught sight of the Rockies about 100 miles east of Denver. I always love mountains, and catching the first glimpse on a trip is always special for me. Dont know why, just always love it. But then I had to drive through Denver. I hate Denver. North/south or east/west it doesnt matter. Driving there is always horrible. Then You have I-70 through the mountains. Lovely. Beautiful. Majestic. Hair raising. You have 200 miles of road that twists and turns, sometimes very sharply, packed with drivers. Some want to drive 80, some want to drive 50, and then the semi trucks which can barely drive 30. Then mix in construction every 10 miles. I'm just glad I wasnt pulling my camper this trip! On a side note, dont go to Vail. I pulled off into that town to try to stop for a pee break. WRONG! Never driving through there again. The interesting thing about this road, is that most of the middle is the volcanic/granite/iron/gold/etc mountains. Then as you drive, you come around a bend and suddenly you are surrounded by massive sedimentary cliffs. Without consulting a geological map, I think it was probably Morrison formation, at least part of it. Then things flatten out and get boring until I reached Rifle. As soon as I got north of Rifle on hwy 13, its just dino hunting drool inspiring formations. All the way up to Dinosaur Colorado and of course continuing on to Vernal. Just mile after mile of hills, cuts, valleys, washes, and mountains of sedimentary layer I want to climb and explore. Finally though, after just short of 14 hours of non-stop driving I arrived. Dog tired but too wired to sleep at the moment. Race isnt for a couple days, so tomorrow will be prospecting for sea-life and seeing some local sights. After Saturday's race, I'll go hunt some more before heading back home for another 14 hours marathon drive. I'll post pics and report on some hopefully productive digging!

I have found this and i would like to know if it's a real fossil or just a rock.

Hi Everyone, New to the forum here but thought you guys might be able to help me ID some finds from today. Was out today for a few hours with my daughter and we found 2 items that I think might be Dino material but maybe not. I was thinking maybe a hadrosaurus tooth and a long shot on a worn dryptosaurus claw. The claw is interesting because it is definitely not coprolite as it’s rock and not sandy.

Hello, I am new on forum, my name is Gregory. I have a few mammal fossils on my collection and was looking at dino eggs (I know nothing about them). I visited a few of your topics talking about them. I saw one on online and was wondering if this is a real one or a faked one. size : 16 cm X 7 cm.

Dinosaur teeth from North Carolina are very rare to come by. There are only a small handful of sites where they have come from. One of the sites is well known, but the others are a closely guarded secret. Those of you who have been lucky to find such things, let's see your pictures. Not mosasaurs, not plesiosaurs but land dwelling dinosaurs. Here are mine. First a Tyrannosauroidea indet. There are two known Tyrannosaurids from N.C. Dryptosaurus and Appalachasaurus.The small size of this tooth will most likely keep it from being able to be ID'd to Genus level. It is 9.8 mm long, 6.4 mm wide and 3.5 mm thick. The next tooth is Hadrosauridae indet. It is 17.7 mm long, 8.7 mm wide and 6.7 mm thick. The third and final tooth has been determined to be an indeterminate Dromaeosaurid. It is 7.1 mm long, 2.8 mm wide and 1.6 mm thick.

On Sept. 23 2010 a basically novice fossil collector was looking online trying to I.D. some shark teeth from Lee Creek. While he had been "collecting" for more than a decade it was not a truly serious hobby. While surfing the web he stumbled upon this fledgling thing called the fossil forum. Something told this guy to go ahead and become a member. When asked for a screen name, even though his name was Don he decided on sixgill pete. That was because one of his grandsons had called him that on a hunt. Well the rest is history. 10 years later to the day, he is still a member. Still learning, but now way to serious about these things we call fossils. I have met a lot of great people because of our forum, and unfortunately have lost a few of the great ones too. So I say, thanks to everyone for having me and putting up with me for these 10 years.

So I've been meaning to put up a couple threads on this forum for a while now. I am really psyched about figuring this one out because i'm hoping its a {terosaur tooth! Its hard to Id because of a tip fracture, its hard to tell if its just a bone or what. Also I want to get this "coral" quartz rock ID'd and it is tied to another thread i'm making. Link here;

found these on a old railroad track looks like teeth , but could be a plant fossil dont know . just sounds cool when people thinks its dinosaur teeth

Hi everyone, I saw this tooth online listed as a theropod tooth from the Tiouraren FM and was wondering what you all think about it. From my knowledge, Kem Kem teeth can have white preservation too so that’s why I’m unsure about this tooth. Tooth is supposedly from Tiouraren Formation of the Agaves region of Niger Length is .74”

Hello guys and gals! I would like your views on something my best friend and I found some time ago. We were out on a little road trip and stumbled upon a pile of dredged up shells and what not. Always looking for something interesting, we went ahead and took a few scoops worth home. What we found piqued our interest. Something that looked like a wing. It felt like plastic so my friend held a lighter to it. Didn’t do anything, no smoke no smell. We got to searching the net and a number of things came up that looked vaguely familiar. Nothing we could definitively match it to though. Now it’s been a while, it’s been sitting on a bookshelf in my house, and today I picked it up again. Again looking at it, searching the net, and thinking could it be…. I don’t know. Based on what I found on the net and with some imagination I thought it could be part of a small flying dinosaur like Microraptor or Archaeopteryx or something similar. Hopes are high, I must say. Could be something entirely different. I’m not even sure this is an actual fossil or just some dried out wing from a species that still exists. My gut says it’s old, but I’m skeptical at the same time. Most fossils from the Jurassic and before are stone imprints (I'm sure that’s not the correct terminology) whereas this is an actual piece of a creature, perhaps petrified? Anyway, please have a gander at the photos and tell me what you think. https://photos.app.goo.gl/ALryjDDDM2rW84948

Hi, I purchased this unprepared, and was wondering what type of animal it came from? It’s from the lance fm, @jpc @Troodon@hadrosauridae, work your magic, please!

Hi everyone, this is a dinosaur bone I’ve been prepping, it was found on the lance fm in WY, it seems hollow and I was wondering if you could tell me if it’s a T-rex bone or a different theropod species, 8 1/4 by 3 1/2 TIA.