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Check the entries below carefully and cast your vote! PM me if you notice any errors with the entries. The poll ends Feb. 6th. Be sure to vote in our other FOTM poll, HERE. 1. Allodesmus Cheek Tooth - Middle Miocene Round Mountain Silt Formation - Bakersfield, California 2. Associated Phytosaur Bones - Late Triassic Redonda Formation - Ragland, New Mexico 3. Shrew Mandible - Late Pleistocene - Florida 4. Shark Vertebra - Miocene Calvert Formation - Brownie’s Beach, Calvert County, Maryland 5. Pathological Hubbell Megalodon Tooth - Miocene Calvert Formation - Calvert Cliffs Maryland 6. Lower Lateral Megalodon Tooth - Miocene Calvert Formation - Calvert Cliffs, Maryland

A new year is upon us! While many of us suffer the wrath of winter, others are lucky enough to enjoy more seasonable collecting weather. Those who are able to hunt should get out there and get to it! Those who can hunt the spoil piles of their workshops should do so. Those micro fossil matrices that are in the back of the garage should be brought out to the light, and get gone through. No matter how you come about it, it is time once again to enter your submissions for Fossil of the Month, for January, 2018! ************************************************************************* Remember...PLEASE carefully read all of the rules below, ... make sure you include all the required information, in the requested format, and submit your fossil! If you have a question about a possible entry, please send me a PM. Please pay special attention to Rule #5: Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for Prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest. In addition to keeping the contest fair, this new qualification will encourage better documentation of our spectacular past finds. Best of success to all, and good hunting! Entries will be taken until midnight on JANUARY 31st. Please let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for sharing more of your fossils and research this month. To view the Winning Fossils from past contests visit the Find Of The Month Winner's Gallery. *********************************** Rules for The Fossil Forum's Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month Contests 1. You find a great Vertebrate Fossil or Invertebrate/Plant Fossil! Only fossils found by you. NO PURCHASED FOSSILS. 2. Post your entry in the Find of the Month topic. Use a separate post for each entry. (Only two entries per contest category.) 3. Your Fossil must have been found during the Month of the Contest, or most of the significant Preparation of your Fossil must have been completed during the Month of the Contest. 4. You must include the Date of your Discovery (when found in the contest month); or the Date of Preparation Completion and Discovery date (if not found in the contest month). 5. Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest. 6. You must include the common or scientific name. 7. You must include the Geologic Age or Geologic Formation where the Fossil was found. 8. You must include the State, Province, or region where the Fossil was found. 9. Play fair and honest. No bought fossils. No false claims. Shortly after the end of the Month, separate Polls will be created for the Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month. In addition to the fun of a contest, we also want to learn more about the fossils. So, only entries posted with a CLEAR photo and that meet the other guidelines will be placed into the Poll. *******Please use the following format for the required information:******* Date of discovery Scientific or Common name Geologic Age or Geologic Formation State, Province, or Region found Photos (if prepped, before and after photos, please.) Photos of the winning specimens may be posted to TFF's Facebook page. Once the Contest Submission period has ended, after all the votes are tallied, and the Polls for both categories are closed, we will know the two winning Finds of the Month for JANUARY 2018 ! Now, go find your fossil, do your research, and make an entry! Good luck!

Rare collection of fossils found in Southern Nevada will soon be on display, News3LV http://news3lv.com/news/local/rare-collection-of-fossils-found-in-southern-nevada-will-soon-be-on-display http://news3lv.com/news/local/gallery/rare-collection-of-fossils-found-in-southern-nevada-will-soon-be-on-display Yours, Paul H.

Hi everyone, first time fossil hunting and first time posting.. we went down to Beaumaris wit the kids today, and amongst some other cool finds, we found this fragment. It looks bony where there is a cross section (not obvious in the photo, but on the pedestal part that sticks out).. we aren't sure what it is.. any help?

The winner of the December 2017 VFOTM goes to... the Poebrotherium Camel Jaw from the Oligocene White River Formation of Chadron, Nebraska! Congrats to @Cowboy Paleontologist!

The winner of the November 2017 VFOTM is... The Crocodile (Pallimnarchus pollens) Jaw from the Plio-Pleistocene of Australia! Congrats to @Jesuslover340!

Check the entries below carefully and cast your vote! PM me if you notice any errors with the entries. The poll ends January 6th. Be sure to vote in our other FOTM poll, HERE. 1. Isurus planus Shark Tooth - Mid Miocene, Round Mountain Silt Formation - Bakersfield, CA 2. Proboscidean Medial Phalanx - Pleistocene, Wando Formation - Summerville, South Carolina, USA 3. Ichthyosaurus Rostrum Fragment with Teeth - Lower Jurassic, Charmouth Mudstone Formation - Lyme Regis, UK 4. Poebrotherium Camel Jaw - Oligocene, White River Formation - Chadron, Nebraska, USA 5. Ichthyosaur Ribs and Verts - Lower Jurassic - Lyme Regis, UK 6. Glyptodont Osteoderms - Pleistocene - Brazos River, Texas, USA 7. Carnivore Tooth - Pleistocene - Peace River, Florida, USA 8. Canis dirus Dire Wolf Jaw - Pleistocene - Florida, USA 9. Whale Vertebra with Possible Predator Marks - Miocene, Hawthorne formation - Summerville, South Carolina, USA 10. Carcharocles megalodon Shark Tooth - Miocene Round Mountain Silt - Bakersfield, California, USA 11. Cosmopolitodus hastalis Shark Tooth - Mid Miocene, Temblor Formation - Bakersfield, California, USA 12. Cricetid Rodent Tooth - Miocene, Calvert Formation - Brownies Beach, Maryland, USA

Check the entries below carefully and cast your vote! PM me if you notice any errors with the entries. The poll ends December 6th. Be sure to vote in our other FOTM poll, HERE. 1. Temnodontosaurus Tooth - Lower Jurassic - Kromer Quarry Germany 2. Megalodon Tooth (5+ Inches) - Miocene Round Mountain Silt Formation - Bakersfield, California 3. Crocodile (Pallimnarchus pollens) Jaw - Plio-Pleistocene - Australia 4. Proboscidian Femur (Half) - Pleistocene - Texas

I found this rock a few years ago and have been wondering about the fossils in it ever since. At first I thought that they where some kind of fish remains, but upon further inspection I am beginning to think that they may be bits of either pterosaur or bird bone. But I really don't know. This rock was found in North Texas in the Upper Coniacian stage of the Austin Chalk Formation. The member of this formation in which I found these fossils is extremely scarce in any vertebrate fossils, with most of the them coming from a more blue/gray toned member of the Austin Chalk which I believe lies underneath this member. In fact, if these are vertebrate fossils then they would be the first and only ones that I have found to date. Aside from vertebrate fossils, the only other thing that I thought that these could be were bits of the hinge of an Inoceramid oyster, which I have found. The last attached photo is of a hinge that I found recently only about 1 mile away from where I found this rock. However, there are a few problems with this theory, the first being the lack of any prismatic (calcitic) crystals being visible in any of the pieces, which there would be if these fossils really were cross section bits of an Inocermid hinge. The prismatic crystals are clearly visible in the cross section view of my Inoceramid hinge. Second, even if I am just not seeing the prismatic crystals, the piece pictured in F7 appears to me to be hollow with a thin, bony looking wall. It is this feature that first got me thinking that these could be bone bits from a pterosaur or a bird. The only thing that makes me rethink that theory is the fact that the larger piece pictured in F2-F3 is completely filled in on the inside and even has something sticking up in the center of it, pictured specifically in F3. But I also do not know for sure whether these two pieces are actually related at all. Compare my fossils with this TFF article about a possible pterosaur bone from the TXI quarry in Midlothian, Texas, which is in the Upper Turonian Atco Formation: And third, at the broken end of the piece pictured specifically in F5 and F6, I see what I perceive as stepped layers where some of it flaked off. That is good evidence against it being an Inoceramid hinge, because the prismatic crystals would be running parallel with an Inoceramid hinge's length, not running perpendicular to it. And as the steppes go down, it seems to show layers of more reddish material, which is also something that I have never seen from an inoceramid shell. There are four main pieces in this rock (which are presumably related) that I am inquiring about, which are pictured in F1-F9. But there are other pieces in this rock that might be related to them, pictured in F10-F12. I also have a few other pieces in this rock that I am pretty sure are not related to the others, pictured in F13 and F14 . F13 is something that I have seen before, but I still do not know what it is, and F14 looks kind of like the shell of a very small urchin, but I really have no idea. The rock its self is 16 cm long. The largest of the 4 main pieces is pictured in F2, F3 and F13 and is 14½ mm in diameter and has 5 mm of it visible above the rock, plus the part of it sticking up in the center. The second largest piece pictured in F4-F7 is 9 mm in diameter and 6 mm in length. The third largest piece pictured in F8 is 5 mm long. And the smallest piece which is right next to the second largest piece is pictured in F4, F9 and is 5 mm long. There are many bits and pieces in this rock that I just can't take pictures of because this post would be 45 pages long. If photos or information apart from what I have already given is needed then I would be happy to give it. I could be way out there and totally off, so I appreciate any help/correction that I get. I am more of an ammonite guy and I don't really know that much at all about vertebrates. Even if these are nothing, I will have learned something. F1 F2

It's officially Autumn, here in the US, and there is the beginnings of crispness is in the air. Apple picking, pumpkin carving, and trick or treating, traditional activities for this time of year, while fun, cannot compare to our fossil finding enthusiasm! For many in the Northern Hemisphere, time is running out to find that worthy fossil, and post it here. *********************************** Remember...PLEASE carefully read the rules below, ... make sure you include all the required information, and submit your fossil! If you have a question about a possible entry, please send me a PM. Please pay special attention to Rule #5: Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for Prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest. In addition to keeping the contest fair, this new qualification will encourage better documentation of our spectacular past finds. Best of success to all, and good hunting! Entries will be taken until midnight on October 31st. Please let us know if you have any questions, and thanks for sharing more of your fossils and research this month. To view the Winning Fossils from past contests visit the Find Of The Month Winner's Gallery. *********************************** Rules for The Fossil Forum's Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month Contests 1. You find a great Vertebrate Fossil or Invertebrate/Plant Fossil! Only fossils found by you. NO PURCHASED FOSSILS. 2. Post your entry in the Find of the Month topic. Use a separate post for each entry. (Only two entries per contest category.) 3. Your Fossil must have been found during the Month of the Contest, or most of the significant Preparation of your Fossil must have been completed during the Month of the Contest. 4. You must include the Date of your Discovery (when found in the contest month); or the Date of Preparation Completion and Discovery date (if not found in the contest month). 5. Before and After Preparation photos must be submitted for prepped specimens not found during the Month of the Contest. 6. You must include the common or scientific name. 7. You must include the Geologic Age or Geologic Formation where the Fossil was found. 8. You must include the State, Province, or region where the Fossil was found. 9. Play fair and honest. No bought fossils. No false claims. Shortly after the end of the Month, separate Polls will be created for the Vertebrate and Invertebrate/Plant Find of the Month. In addition to the fun of a contest, we also want to learn more about the fossils. So, only entries posted with a CLEAR photo and that meet the other guidelines will be placed into the Poll. *******Please use the following format for the required information:******* Date of discovery Scientific or Common name Geologic Age or Geologic Formation State, Province, or Region found Photos (if prepped, before and after photos, please.) Photos of the winning specimens may be posted to TFF's Facebook page. Once the Contest Submission period has ended, after all the votes are tallied, and the Polls for both categories are closed, we will know the two winning Finds of the Month for OCTOBER - 2017 ! Now, go find your fossil, do your research, and make an entry!

In your opinion, what is the weirdest fossil vertebrate? I would like to see pictures! I will start out with the Helicoprion shark!

Thank you to everyone who responded t my "sea Lion" id. I'm attaching pictures of large piece that was found in the same crate of what I thought was a sea lion - the brown coloring is the same... I have several other pieces but just sending the larger ones as to not take up your time. Thank you I am sending more pictures from different angles

So my friend recently bought a fossil and is unsure as to what exactly it is. We unfortunately don't know the formation or locality, but we are reasonably sure it is some sort of vertebra. Any help would be appreciated.

Check the entries below carefully and cast your vote! PM me if you notice any errors with the entries. The poll ends August 6th. Be sure to vote in our other FOTM poll, HERE. 1. Saurorhynchus acutus Rostropremaxilla - Lower Jurassic Mulgrave Shale Member - Whitby, Yorkshire coast, England 2. Kronosaurus queenslandicus Pliosaur Tooth - Cretaceous Toolebuc Formation - Richmond, QLD, Australia <Images removed at poster's request> 3. Pachyrhizodus marathonensis Fish - Cretaceous Toolebuc Formation - Richmond, Queensland, Australia 4. Deinosuchus rugosus Vertebrae - Late Cretaceous Tar Heel and Bladen Formations - Eastern NC, USA 5. Carcharocles megalodon Shark Tooth - Miocene Hawthorne formation - Summerville, SC, USA

Dear friends, Some weeks ago I bought a cretaceous skull from the Cretaceous Cenomanian from Morocco, but I am trying to classify it and I don´t find the proper classification in the bibliography from Morocco. I am considering that could be some type of species of turtle or even some type of species of other reptile (such as a sea snake). Could you please help me to define it? Many thanks!

Cyclops and Dragon Tongues: How Real Fossils Inspired Giant Myths By Stephanie Pappas, Live Science, July 18, 2017 https://www.livescience.com/59837-how-real-fossils-inspired-giant-myths.html Romano, M. and Avanzini, M., 2017. The skeletons of Cyclops and Lestrigons: misinterpretation of Quaternary vertebrates as remains of the mythological giants. Historical Biology, pp. 1-24. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08912963.2017.1342640 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317896323_The_skeletons_of_Cyclops_and_Lestrigons_misinterpretation_of_Quaternary_vertebrates_as_remains_of_the_mythological_giants Another paper is: Agnesi, V., Di Patti, C. and Truden, B., 2007. Giants and elephants of Sicily. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 273(1), pp. 263-270. https://iris.unipa.it/retrieve/handle/10447/18688/41318/Giants and Elephants of Sicily.pdf Yours, Paul H.

Ice Age fossils emerge during Los Angeles subway dig Diana Kruzman , USA Today, July 10, 2017 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/10/ice-age-fossils-emerge-los-angeles-subway-dig/103026368/ Yours, Paul H.

University researchers comb Big Horn Basin for tiny fossils by Tracie Mitchell, Northern Wyoming Daily News, July 5, 2017 http://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/news/wyoming/article_66b4b8d4-1390-578c-8e36-ffe6b51bf123.html Yours, Paul H.

MacDougall, M.J., Tabor, N.J., Woodhead, J., Daoust, A.R. and Reisz, R.R., 2017. The unique preservational environment of the Early Permian (Cisuralian) fossiliferous cave deposits of the Richards Spur locality, Oklahoma. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol. 475, pp.1-11. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Macdougall2 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313589380_The_unique_preservational_environment_of_the_Early_Permian_Cisuralian_fossiliferous_cave_deposits_of_the_Richards_Spur_locality_Oklahoma?ev=prf_high http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018217301669 Yours, Paul H.

The winner of the 2017 VFOTM contest goes to.... The Sloth Claw and Associated Phalanx from the Pleistocene of Southwest Florida! Congrats to @jcbshark on the find and the win!

Check the entries below carefully and cast your vote! PM me if you notice any errors with the entries. The poll ends June 6th. Be sure to vote in our other FOTM poll, HERE. 1. Sloth Claw and Associated Phalanx - Pleistocene - Southwest Florida 2. Mastodon Tooth - Pleistocene - Texas 3. Clidastes (Mosasaur) Jaw Section w/ Replacement Teeth - Late Cretaceous Ozan Formation - North Sulphur River, Texas 4. Stratodus Palatine Bone - Late Cretaceous Ozan Formation - North Sulphur River, Texas 5. Tapir Jaw w/ Teeth - Pleistocene - Texas

Hi fellow diggers. My passion for paleontology and archaeology keeps me digging even in 115 degree heat. I've collected some amazing things in the desert southwest as well as along the southern CA coast. I look forward to sharing some of those finds on this forum in the coming weeks.

Check the entries below carefully and cast your vote! PM me if you notice any errors with the entries. The poll ends May 6th. Be sure to vote in our other FOTM poll, HERE. 1. Ischyodus bifurcatus Ratfish Jaw - Late Cretaceous Wenonah Formationc - Ramanessin Brook, Monmouth County, New Jersey 2. Canis dirus (Dire Wolf) Jaw - Pleistocene - Peace River, Florida 3. Fish Vertebra - Miocene - Pleistocene - Peace River, Florida 4. Pathological Isurus planus - Miocene Round Mountain Silt Formation - Bakersfield, CA 5. Alligator Osteoderm - Pleistocene - Peace River, Florida 6. Diplurus newarki Coelacanth - Late Triassic Lockatong Formation - North Bergen, New Jersey 7. Ray Plate - Miocene - Portugal 8. Partial Plesiosaur Vertebrae & Bone - Triassic - Aust, Gloucestershire, UK 9. Crocodile Vertebra - Paleocene Aquia Formation - Virginia 10. Wooly Rhino Tooth - Pleistocene - Zandmotor, Netherlands 11. Cochliodus Tooth - Pennsylvanian LaSalle Limestone, Bond Formation - LaSalle County, IL

Anyone have an idea on which carcharadon this came from? also, any ideas on this jaw fragment? -J

So I was cruising the bottom, checking boulders and my right hand hit something hard. It felt like a big bone chunk. Then my left hand swung around and felt the other side. Symmetrical. That's when I started getting interested. Then I felt the enamel. It just kept going and going down into the mud. At this point, I'm reciting the fossil hunter's littany, "Please be whole, please be whole, please be whole!" It was! 6 3/16" my first six-incher.