baby dino fossil?

[khandi]

a friend of mine showed this to me and i thought it was fascinating we think it might be a type of flying dinosaur? 
 

[Paleostoric]

This looks geologic in origin to me. Possibly part of a steinkern? 

 

20 minutes ago, khandi said:

flying dinosaur

Dinosaurs were mostly not able to fly. You're probably thinking about flying reptiles, which are often mistaken for flying dinosaurs but are actually not. Could you possibly point out what made you come to that conclusion? I'm having a hard time seeing how this resembles a flying animal of some sort.

[khandi]

Sorry don't know much about dinosaurs or reptiles I'm new to this. It looks like maybe a beak and the feet look like bird feet to me. this is why I joined this forum to learn about these kinds of things

[Rockwood]

4 hours ago, khandi said:

a type of flying dinosaur

Birds do make good reference material for you. They are evolved dinosaurs, and virtually the only ones that fly.

It's extremely unlikely that you will find fossils that can be identified as looking the way the animals are recreated in popular media however. The texture of bone  rather than the overall shape is what you need to look for.

[Troodon]

When trying to identify a fossil one of the most important pieces of information needed is locality so that its age can be determined.  If we are looking for dinosaurs in Alabama we need to be finding them in deposits that are Cretaceous in age.  Here is a map that shows you that there are exposures running across the state where Cretaceous fossils can be found.  So if a bone is found that is not in these deposits its probably not dinosaurian.

  Some of these deposits can be marine deposits so Shark teeth can be found.

 

The other important feature that Rockwood mentioned is that you need to be looking for the texture of bone.  It should be distinct from the matrix/rock its in.  Fossil skeletons are typically not one blob but made up of dozens of unique bones so each bone should stand out.  

[grandpa]

11 hours ago, khandi said:

Sorry don't know much about dinosaurs or reptiles I'm new to this.

 

Hi Khandi,

 

You certainly have nothing to be sorry about.  We love to have folks like you who are here to learn about fossils - - no prior knowledge required.  We're here to share our love of fossils with those who are willing, eager and open to learning.

 

11 hours ago, khandi said:

this is why I joined this forum to learn about these kinds of things

 

And, be assured, you have come to just the right place for just that.  As you continue in your involvement with the forum, you will find that it provides a resource for you to do just that.

 

Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride.

[dalmayshun]

For a first timer, I'd say read the article in the top position on pareidolia....it is helpful.  BTW one of my first fossils was one such pareidolia...a miniature leopard it was only 6 " long...whoop whoop...LOL

[val horn]

I love your leopard, and raise you one Goddess figure (otherwise known as a shrimp burrow)

[dalmayshun]

another Venus for sure...LOL. Finding these things is almost (ALMOST) as exciting as finding a fossil....especially when you pull one out, and eventually discover it is in fact a fossil...LOL.