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Are different dinosaur species bones different colors?


creepyspiderlady

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There are so many beautifully colored dinosaur bones. Are the different species the reason for the different colors?

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2 hours ago, creepyspiderlady said:

There are so many beautifully colored dinosaur bones. Are the different species the reason for the different colors?

Yes like mentioned above from what I have learned in my short time in this fantastic collecting of Fossils,  its about the ground / matrix were it has been found and this type of geological structure effects the fossil remains during the fossilization proces. Each area has its own colorization. For example Moroccan Fossils from the K.K. Beds typically have this reddish / yellow color. But not always, that is what it makes it interesting, there are also sometimes surface finds, they can also change a bit in color due to exposure of weather elements. 

As you start to learn and collect, you will get better in this. there is much to learn :brokebone:

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@creepyspiderlady Not dinosaur bones, but a good idea of the range of color possibilities during fossilization.

 

 

Edited by Mark Kmiecik
added info

 

 

Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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On 7/6/2022 at 6:15 AM, Phos_01 said:

Yes like mentioned above from what I have learned in my short time in this fantastic collecting of Fossils,  its about the ground / matrix were it has been found and this type of geological structure effects the fossil remains during the fossilization proces. Each area has its own colorization. For example Moroccan Fossils from the K.K. Beds typically have this reddish / yellow color. But not always, that is what it makes it interesting, there are also sometimes surface finds, they can also change a bit in color due to exposure of weather elements. 

As you start to learn and collect, you will get better in this. there is much to learn :brokebone:

This was an easy one for me, but the studying part...

 

I have no idea where to begin and what plan of action to take in this hobby in order to continue the learning process. A Google search comes up with just stuff. Too much and very few details on how to approach the learning curve without getting a paleontology degree.

 

How to research and identify your finds? I have no idea how everyone here gets that done and many times I'm confused when they explain with pictures. Like, I don't comprehend how they dig up all that information and distinguish very small details in order to identify a specific species within a genus. How did they learn all the small details on that one particular bone? 

 

How many formations are out there? Where are they located? What all animals have been discovered in that formation? I do much better when I know the end result first. If there's 10,028 and they are all listed, I'm a much better learner than if you just start throwing stuff at me without a clue to where it all ends. I need an index. I need a plan to execute.

 

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7 minutes ago, Agatized Deinonychus said:

 


 

Join a local paleontology society. Both Austin and Dallas have good ones. 
 

Start small. Go out and find a local Texas fossil. Find a geology map and determine the formation. Search for fossils from that formation. You can find a lot of free info on the internet. Have a paleo society member help you.

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My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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2 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:


 

Join a local paleontology society. Both Austin and Dallas have good ones. 
 

Start small. Go out and find a local Texas fossil. Find a geology map and determine the formation. Search for fossils from that formation. You can find a lot of free info on the internet. Have a paleo society member help you.

Thank you! Yea, I've considered joining a local paleo society. I just wasn't sure on all the requirements. I know very little about this stuff. I do read the trip reports here and have researched some sites to hunt across the country. Most are paid sites though. I will look into it.

 

I'm almost afraid to look anywhere in Texas but the North Sulfur River, which is a long drive, because I don't know how to find spots, especially in capitalistic/private owned Texas.

 

One of my issues is the area I live (Austin). I don't think there's much here that interests me? I like the dino footrpints but there's no dinosaur fossils in this area. Most of the stuff seems to be very microscopic stuff and poorly preserved. Maybe there's stuff I'm unaware of in Central Texas. I love some of the formations in North Texas and West Texas. I've heard there are rivers and coastal shoreline in East Texas that produce Ice Age fossils but finding out the details seems a tall task. Everything in Texas is privately/government owned and you can't even breathe here without breaking some law. 

 

I'm interested in dinos, fish/reptiles, well preserved ammonites/trilobites, well preserved Devonian fossils, shark teeth (beyond micro stuff), and the Ice Age. I also like rockhouding. I just don't see any of it here in Central Texas. Maybe the Austin Paleontology Society can help with other areas of the state as well. I will check into it. It's worth a shot.

 

I'm making a two month road trip out west next year. Some of it is going to be hunting for fossils/rockhounding but I have zero experience other than one trip to the NSR. And I had no idea what I was doing. I just walked for 6 miles roundtrip while looking in the mud.

 

Thanks for the reply!

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7 hours ago, Agatized Deinonychus said:

How many formations are out there? Where are they located? What all animals have been discovered in that formation? I do much better when I know the end result first. If there's 10,028 and they are all listed, I'm a much better learner than if you just start throwing stuff at me without a clue to where it all ends. I need an index. I need a plan to execute.

 

Me personally don't care about all the exact numbers, I prefer to know more about the general knowledge about Dinosaurs. 
For me what works best: allot of reading, allot of being on this forum, talking and discussing fossils, reading about it here. Going to fairs, doing the same making connections - documentary's etc. It takes time, and thats okey 

I guess if you really want to know everything exact you got to be a paleontologist :-) 

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12 hours ago, Agatized Deinonychus said:

Thank you! Yea, I've considered joining a local paleo society. I just wasn't sure on all the requirements. I know very little about this stuff. I do read the trip reports here and have researched some sites to hunt across the country. Most are paid sites though. I will look into it.

 

I'm almost afraid to look anywhere in Texas but the North Sulfur River, which is a long drive, because I don't know how to find spots, especially in capitalistic/private owned Texas.

 

One of my issues is the area I live (Austin). I don't think there's much here that interests me? I like the dino footrpints but there's no dinosaur fossils in this area. Most of the stuff seems to be very microscopic stuff and poorly preserved. Maybe there's stuff I'm unaware of in Central Texas. I love some of the formations in North Texas and West Texas. I've heard there are rivers and coastal shoreline in East Texas that produce Ice Age fossils but finding out the details seems a tall task. Everything in Texas is privately/government owned and you can't even breathe here without breaking some law. 

 

I'm interested in dinos, fish/reptiles, well preserved ammonites/trilobites, well preserved Devonian fossils, shark teeth (beyond micro stuff), and the Ice Age. I also like rockhouding. I just don't see any of it here in Central Texas. Maybe the Austin Paleontology Society can help with other areas of the state as well. I will check into it. It's worth a shot.

 

I'm making a two month road trip out west next year. Some of it is going to be hunting for fossils/rockhounding but I have zero experience other than one trip to the NSR. And I had no idea what I was doing. I just walked for 6 miles roundtrip while looking in the mud.

 

Thanks for the reply!

 

The area around Big Bend Park is a huge dinosaur spot with the Aguja  and Javelina Fm the latter of which contains Trex material.  Its not easy to find spots because its either Government land or privately owned but thats typical for the dinosaur areas in Montana and the Dakotas.  You need to make connections through clubs or museums and be very proactive and not just throw your hands up.  Reach out to individuals like Andre Lujan who started the Hillsboro museum Texas Through Time, he collects the Aguja and Permian Basin and get his opinion. 

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9 hours ago, Troodon said:

 

The area around Big Bend Park is a huge dinosaur spot with the Aguja  and Javelina Fm the latter of which contains Trex material.  Its not easy to find spots because its either Government land or privately owned but thats typical for the dinosaur areas in Montana and the Dakotas.  You need to make connections through clubs or museums and be very proactive and not just throw your hands up.  Reach out to individuals like Andre Lujan who started the Hillsboro museum Texas Through Time, he collects the Aguja and Permian Basin and get his opinion. 

Yes, I always figured the Aguja and Javelina would be a no-go for me. I remember reading an article about some amateur who had much of the land in that area and pulled a bunch of dinosaur fossils over many decades.  It was a beautiful story. It's a beautiful area. I usually get out to Big Bend every other year. I would go more often if I had such access!

 

I never realized museums would be willing to help. I've read some stuff on Lujan and, of course, he ended up on Dino Hunters! I think he has access in West Texas. I've considered contacting Robert Bakker about joining him in the Red Beds of Texas. Of course, I wouldn't get to keep anything.

 

I'm guessing when you say clubs, you're talking about the local paleo society? Also, is it acceptable, or even worth it, to be a member of a club that isn't local? I live in Austin, but what about the Dallas Paleontological Society? Do I need to be local? Do I need to attend a certain number of meetings per year? Will I still get the benefits of fossil hunts? Not that specific society, but just in general. It just popped in my head that maybe I don't have to be local? I love some of the fish, reptiles/mosasaurs and various teeth pulled from the formations in that area. I see many members here posting really cool fossils from North Texas. And there are some good museums in that part of Texas.

 

I'm a new sign up, but I've visited the "Fossil Hunting Trips" section of this forum, off and on, for nearly a decade. I'm a big fan of your journeys! I appreciate you sharing your experiences with us! I had considered going on a paid trip to the Hell Creek/Lance Creek Formation(s) when I retire, but the prices are starting to get up there for what you get. It seems many of the paid sites on the web now want a pricey daily fee and full value for any fossils found! I may have to stick with the Green River Formation when I travel to that area of the country. I like their prices/rules for fossil finds. But I guess I better hurry, because they may change their pricing any day. 

 

Thank you for the tips, Troodon. I may consider contacting Lujan or, better yet, driving up to his museum.

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26 minutes ago, Agatized Deinonychus said:

I never realized museums would be willing to help. I've read some stuff on Lujan and, of

Well its more like the Black Hill Institute and not the Field Museum which is a repository to conserve material in perpetuity.  So he can do whatever he chooses, its private.  I would email him and have a discussion that way since he's out if town often.  You're looking for guidence and he may or may not be able to help.  Has far as what clubs who knows you need to check out whatever is around and see if any tickle you fancy.

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