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Hey everyone! I’m starting this post as a continuation of this post: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/102463-virtual-fossil-hunting-field-trip/ I’ve decided to start this new thread in prefer to better conform to the sites organizational structure and to serves as a more permanent home for my future adventures. So, if you haven’t already seen it, in encourage you to read it in order to catch up. In light of our current events I’ve decided to practice some self quarantine at my favorite fossil hunting location. The rocks here, the Rio Dell formation, represent an eastward trending embayment from the Pleistocene, overlain by orange conglomeratic sandstones called the Carlotta Formation, indicating and delta environment that fed into said bay. These have all been uplifted by the numerous and complex fault systems that Northern California is famous for. This site is easily accessible via a trailhead about 350ft above the beach.

Hi Everyone! I should preface that this collection of photos were taken on multiple occasions to this location. I just wanted to share with you all typically, what my experience fossil hunting is like. This is not the only location or formation that I personally collect from, but it is the most frequent location I visit and is relatively accessible at all times of year. Anyway, essentially what we’ll be seeing here is the deposits of a 2ma old bay, represented by the Rio Dell Formation, then the Carlotta Formation, orange conglomeritic sandstones representing a delta that flowed into said bay, all uplifted by a faults driven by subduction. ON TO THE PICTURES!

Hey all, I found this little vertebrae at my usual location, sticking out of the mud that comprises the Rio Dell Formation, Pleistocene in age. The best I can identify it as is a Filefish Vertebrae. Doing a quick Wikipedia search, I learned that some species have been known to enter lagoons and estuaries, which is good news for me since the Rio Dell represents an ancient bay environment. Ive attaches a reference image of some file fish verts from North Carolina. (Source Here: https://www.fossilguy.com/sites/l_creek/lcrk_col_fish.htm) Id love to hear all your opinions. And thank you for all the help that you guys have given me thus far, this is one of the best communities on the internet.