Macro Fossil Help Please.

[DE&i]

I’m going on a field trip to this location http://www.kingsdyke.ukfossils.co.uk/ and would like to try my luck at finding some macro fossils I’ve know knowledge what so ever of how to go about this. Would anyone be able to give me some advice i.e. what to look for / equipment / samples to bring back with me etc?

Thank you very much.

Darren & Elliot.

[Mike from North Queensland]

Looking at the photos of the site I would try collecting from the areas where the erosion has removed the very fine material or you will have to process a lot of material for little return.

You also need to find out what will break down the harder material with out damaging the fossils to get the matrix through the seives.

I have never gone hi tec but use the basic sieves I used when fossicking for saphires 6 mm and 3 mm seives. Then I use insect screen and a kitchen seive.

For searching I prefer a jewlers loop in natural sunlight. I enjoy the fun of the hunt and am amazed at some of the rarer finds that I get as not many search for the macro compared to the larger fossils. I am lucky where I prefer to collect as there are some layers of concentrated material if you know where to look. The draw back is that its a 10 hour round trip but by bringing back 50 to 100 kilograms of matrix each trip it extends the fossicking experence. Also collect from different spots and mark them for reference of what to look for next time as this should help next time by knowing what to look for.

Mike

[DE&i]

Thank you for the advice Mike,

Wow 10 hour round trip now that’s what I call dedication.

It seems like I’ve got my work cut out but sure will be fun especially for my son something he can really get involved in.

If I collect on the same scale as you I’ll have to get a bigger car so perhaps little but often might be the best bet for me.

I’m going for about 5 hours officially on the 24^th of March but perhaps like you say ill check the location out and take a few samples to see what’s on offer. Ill post my finds as and when but again not really sure what camera set up ill need.

Thank you,

Darren.