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Hey there The Fossil Forum. I have an hard one for you today (or perhaps not too hard -we'll see). I usually provide my fossil's location, precise strata and geological period, but this time I can't. The thing is that I found a large, conspicuous brachiopod in my college's wharehouse with no inscription on it and I'd like to ID the species so I can use it in my class. As you can observe, the specimen is quite large (roughly 10 cm across) and has very proeminent ribs with crazy rippled growth lines. The valve symmetry is not perfect, probably because of deformation or erosion. Any idea on this one? Thanks a lot. Ventral view Lateral view along commissure Dorsal view (it was 39$ several decades ago...)

I was recently reorganizing my fossil collection and thought I would share some pieces I collected during Paleontology field trips in undergrad at Alabama. I'm glad I took thorough notes at the time! The demopolis chalk is a popular formation for finding Exogyra/ostrea/pycnodonte shells and shark teeth. We visited a site in Tupelo, MS many times for surface collecting. Some of the cool pieces I found were many fragments of a mosasaur jaw (top pic, top 2 slots), a Squalicorax kaupi tooth, a scyliorhinus(?) tooth, bony fish vertebrae, and bony fish teeth. I was told the dark fossils at the right of the third picture might be ray plates, but I'm not sure. Turritella in pic 1 are from a different formation.

Hi all! I'm a super amateur, as in I just decided to try my hand at fossil hunting after being obsessed with PaleoCris's youtube for a couple of months. I'm a college student studying environmental science (as of now) and I'm hoping to discover some cool things around North Carolina!

I was very lucky to land a gig with the fossil collections manager at GCSU for service hours in financial aid, and now I have my first chance to more seriously look into trilobite morphology, as they're the first specimens I'm working with! Will be uploading pictures every wednesday (collection work days(P.S., I know it's friday right now, sorry for being a little late)), and would appreciate experts like @piranha teaching me a thing or two about the morphology as I go to go along with what I read up on in the available literature. For those looking to ID, please know that we don't have location info and whatnot on all of the specimens. If we do have that logged, it should be on the cards. First, my little work space in the room: And now for the start of the ID parade! First up, a Dalmanitid (Dalmanities sp.?) Next up, a thorax fragment from Pennsylvania's Ordovician: Up next, an agnostid (Agnostus sp.?) Cont.

Hey everyone! I am glad to inform you all that I have been offered admission to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly known as Virginia Tech! I only applied to a total of two universities, James Madison University and Virginia Tech, and I've now been accepted into both. Now it is just a matter of making my decision. There is so much to love about both universities. If I choose JMU, I will major in Geology and have the opportunity to work alongside the head of the department, Dr. Stephen A. Leslie, who conducts research surrounding conodonts. There is also a chance that I will be offered the Second Century Scholarship, a scholarship designated for students majoring in a STEM field who show a great deal of interest and dedication to their desired area. If I am granted this scholarship, I will have 75% of my in-state tuition paid for, in which case I will commit to the university beyond a doubt. Now, if I decide to attend Virginia Tech, I will study Geosciences in the College of Science, and have access to the universities outstanding Museum of Geosciences, which features incredible specimens including a complete cast skeleton of Allosaurus. I will be able to work with fantastic faculty, including Dr. Sterling Nesbitt, who has discovered and described many new species in his time as a paleontologist, including the archosaur Nundasuchus in 2007. In order to enter the field of paleontology with hopes of a strong career, one must typically receive a graduate degree, whether it be a Master's or even a PhD. This is something I must take into account when making my decision for undergraduate study. At the moment, my most likely path will be to attend JMU for 4 years and receive my Bachelor's degree, then apply to Virginia Tech for graduate school. Tech has a spectacular graduate vertebrate paleontology research group, which is something I would love to be a part of. I will not likely make my decision until I have heard back from JMU regarding the scholarship, and until I have visited Virginia Tech during their open house for admitted freshmen. I will keep you all posted on my decisions. Regardless of where I end up, I cannot wait to study geology and pursue my dream of becoming a paleontologist. Here is an excerpt from my essay for the Second Century Scholarship. Enjoy! "There is something about prehistoric life that stimulates the mind. Perhaps it is the mystery of the unknown, or the bizarre and unfamiliar appearances of the organisms themselves. Regardless of the forces which drive it, we humans seem to have an inherent interest in the life that called our planet home before us. Many of us can recall a phase in our childhoods when we became practically obsessed with dinosaurs, the mighty beasts which once ruled our planet. This innate fascination typically fades as one ages, but mine has persisted. The history of the earth, spanning from its formation some 4.6 billion years ago to present day, is a magnificent chronicle. It is a tale of merciless competition, crippling disasters, and recurrent resilience. We have managed to piece together fragments of this story, but as of yet it remains largely incomplete. It is my fierce desire to uncover the unknown that has compelled me to pursue an education and career in paleontology." ~David Hoppe

Hello all, Yesterday I heard back from James Madison University after applying Early Action back in November. I am delighted to let you all know that I was admitted into the university! I haven't quite made up my mind yet, as I am still waiting to hear back from Virginia Tech, but I will most likely be attending JMU this coming fall semester. I am so excited to carry my journey on the road of paleontology into college with me. I plan on studying geology, likely with a minor in biology. JMU apparently gives their undergraduate students countless internship and research opportunities that many schools reserve for their grad students only. I think I will thoroughly enjoy my time at the college; I've visited several times now and I could go on forever about all the things I love about the place. My mom graduated from JMU and absolutely loved it, and still does today! She was ecstatic when we opened the acceptance letter. My plan at the moment is to attend JMU for four years, and then apply to Virginia Tech for graduate school and work towards a Master's degree and possibly even a PhD. They have an extraordinary vertebrate paleontology research team led by Dr. Sterling Nesbitt, who has discovered and described several prehistoric species including Nundasuchus! I would be honored to work with him and the rest of the team. Through fossil collecting, my fascination with prehistoric life has only grown, and I can't wait to start studying to fulfill my dream of becoming a paleontologist. Ideally, I'd like to do some field work but also would love learning how to prepare and analyze fossils in the lab with the latest technology. I think I'd like to eventually end up as either a staff member at a natural history museum, or a professor of geology at a university. Whatever happens, even if I totally change my mind and decide to pursue and entirely different career, I will use my knowledge and experience that I've gained from this forum and fossil collecting in general to help me reach my goals. Thanks for reading! ~David

I know I've been absent from the forums the past couple of years but I've been so very busy. I started fossil hunting with my son a few years ago while I was going to Trident Technical College. I spent a total of three years there and earn AS, AA, and AAS (for criminal justice) and a CAS (for CSI). I had decided to transfer to the College of Charleston and chose Geology as my major. Well, I did it! I'm done. My degree, BS in Geology, was awarded to me on August 10, 2018 and I presented my undergrad research in a public forum at the college today. I'm officially done! Whoo hoo! Job hunting like crazy these days though and have an interview tomorrow. *fingers crossed* My undergrad research involved studying the subsurface of the Charleston Peninsula and we developed maps in both 2- and 3-dimensions for analyses and we found some really interesting things going on... but that's for another undergrad to tackle now that I'm done. Picture attached is me and our group atop a mesa in Abiquiu, NM for our field studies... That was a heckuva climb, something like 900-1000 ft!

Today, I got mail from a really exciting source: Harvard! Apparently I got enough of their interest that they invited me to one of their events (though said event is one regarding the medical field, a field that I don't entirely wish to pursue for obvious reasons (cough cough, Paleontology, cough cough)). The fact that I got sent this letter is incredibly exciting in its own right though, because Harvard! I also have to consider that if I do somehow get accepted, they have a natural history museum there, which is always good news. Times are getting exciting for me. Wish me luck!

Hello fellow forum members, it's Trevor. I am deciding between attending two different colleges, one is near Cleveland, Ohio and the other is near Lewisberg, PA. Fossiling is a large part of my decision. I already know some fern sites in PA and PA is closer to Maryland and Jersey so that's a plus. Can anyone tell me the fossil situation of Ohio or surrounding areas.