Search the Community

Fossil hunting. Found a few bivalves and some suspected trilobite pieces. But the weirdest find was this. Its probably normal but thought I'd ask what it is?

I just started learning how to fossil hunt last summer, and had been looking at some Ordivicean roads cuts kinda near me (Rice and Goodhue counties in MN). Looking through county highway roadcuts, I immediately came across alot of brachiopods and bryozoan bits. In one spot on 52, I did find a few gastropods (snails). My best one might even have evidence of a pathology (why it died). It seems like there is a drill hole in the shell What I considered my luckiest find was this Bryzoan sponge. There was ZERO prep involved in this. I just found it on the hill side This year I started getting the itch again, and on a sunny 40 degree day in March (I want even that weather to come back again!) I was over in Goodhue and by chance discovered a newish road cut. Probably in the last 10 years? My goal for this year was to finally find a trilobyte, with a wish for maybe a cephalopod. Well, God smiled that day. Up the hill side on a ledge about 4 ft high this was just sitting in the sun looking at me: Acheivement unlocked! All I had to do was pick it up. Then at the top of the slope I might've used up all my luck for the year at once and started finding cephalopod parts! Plus additional ones too. They were also washing down in the hill in 2 locations. I also found some inverted ones, where they were hollow instead. There is one of those two: So this has been quite eye opening. I grew up in MN hearing that we had no fossils but a few shark teeth. While true that we mostly lack mesozoic rocks, theres always something (shakes fist at glacial till). A suprising thing also happened mentally. After finding so many brachiopod bits, I started going "meh, more little shells". I'm hoping to get to NW nebraska this weekend (maybe dawes and souix counties). I've been using http://donaldkenney.x10.mx/STATES/NE.HTM and the MN counter part to get ideas of where to look. Wish me luck.

Found in Southern Ontario, late Ordovician. Would these be the fossilized burrows of the Brachiopods? Or just odd erosion? Note the trace fossils around the "Burrows".

Hello everyone. I’m an amateur fossil hunter that goes out occasionally by our cabin in central Montana. We often find crinoid rings which are common. Found this today which made my day! I’m wondering if anyone can help ID which family or group this is from? Found in Judith Basin County in the Little Belt Mountains. Thank you!!

Hello, I am looking for thoughts on whether the specimens (photos attached) are real please. Thank you in advance.

Hey everybody new to this whole fossil hunting thing. A few weeks ago my partner and I were fossil hunting in courtier and found a few interesting fossils but there is one type of fossil that I cannot seem to identify. I was hoping someone could possibly tell me what they might be. It would be greatly appreciated.