All pseudo fossils?

[Amicrazy]

I'm have no background in paleontology archeology geology or any other ology. I do have an extensive collection of "pseudo fossils" apparently. I have written whom many in the field would recognize as credible. However, I'm really struggling here with the explanations I'm given for why I'm mistaken about my fossils authenticity. I've been told that it's not a real baby t rex because I didn't find it in hells creek. C'mon, that's a ridiculous statement. I've been told simply that my fossils are rocks. Well yeah, aren't all fossils essentially rocks!? This is a multi part discussion. First, it's no secret many scientists are butt hurt that there is private auctions for fossils. Is this why nobody will authenticate my fossils? Because they think I will just sell them? Well I planned on donating but apparently nobody will look at them. I believe the basic theory that denies my fossils any credibility is completly bs! I dont know how to prove it though. I have a real ability to think oitside the box. That is why I went to law school and obtained a JD. I am sensing a real either inability or lack of desire in the research and science fields of this field. Are there no paleontologist theorists? Those who challenge the old ideas in an effort to really progress. I hope my pictures shed some light here on my meaning and points. These cannot be just rocks. I believe the minerals in the animals and their locations near running water and volcanos will point to some new theories and understanding of petrification and crystallization in the perfect environment equalled quartz fossils in 3d

[Kane]

We're all here to learn.  Let me take a stab at answering a few questions:

 

1. "I've been told that it's not a real baby t rex because I didn't find it in hells creek. C'mon, that's a ridiculous statement." - Not necessarily. Keep in mind that the geological formations contain specific fossil fauna, and derive from different time periods. For example, the bedrock where I live is well over 365 million years old, so far too old to contain dinosaurs. 

 

2. "I've been told simply that my fossils are rocks. Well yeah, aren't all fossils essentially rocks!?" - in most cases, yes! However, what they mean is that the rock has no organic origin and so the formation of the rock did not originate with something biological.

 

3. "First, it's no secret many scientists are butt hurt that there is private auctions for fossils. Is this why nobody will authenticate my fossils? Because they think I will just sell them?" - I would think scientists have enough integrity to give an honest scientific assessment of what they are shown. They gain nothing by lying to you.  

 

4. "I believe the basic theory that denies my fossils any credibility is completly bs!" - And therein may be your error. Science is not based on belief, but on empirically verifiable evidence. If the evidence does not support the claim, no amount of belief can change that.

 

5. "I have a real ability to think oitside the box." - Creative or lateral thinking can be a part of science in its initial state (think of how Einstein dreamt of riding a comet to come up with relativity), but the real work comes in following the empirical method. 

 

6. "Are there no paleontologist theorists? Those who challenge the old ideas in an effort to really progress." - Yes, there are. There are many areas of very productive debate, such as in determining the cause of the dinosaur extinction, whether it be from a meteor strike, volcanism, or multiple factors. 

 

7. "These cannot be just rocks. I believe the minerals in the animals and their locations near running water and volcanos will point to some new theories and understanding of petrification and crystallization in the perfect environment equalled quartz fossils in 3d" - Well, according to probability, they can just be rocks. If you proceed by a deductive or declarative statement, you might miss out on how science operates through induction. There are numerous paleontologists out there whose career is entirely based on challenging prior assumptions through testing and falsifying. New hypotheses and theories are being made all the time, and testament to that would be the numerous journals dedicated to paleontology. Research articles are about proposing new ideas through evidence and examination.  

[Max-fossils]

@Kane is fully correct with all his statements! 

 

If you still have any more questions regarding his comments, then anyone on this forum, including him and I, will gladly answer these. 

 

Then to answer your question, yes, these are all non-fossil rocks. In my opinion, not even pseudo-fossils (pseudo-fossils are rocks that look a lot like fossils; example below) because I don't see them looking anything like fossils at all (but perhaps I just lack imagination). 

 

Your first rock looks to me just like a normal rock which was subject to weathering and other such erosion. 

Your second rock seems to be quartz, a mineral that very rarely replaces organic material by itself during fossilization. Plus yours has no organic features whatsoever.

 

"Baby t-rex" fossils are beyond exceedingly rare. And considering that at their birth they are already pretty big, they'll be much bigger than your rocks. And there should be some features which are really well visible in the fossil (eg bone structure), all lacking from your pieces. And the argument about "Hell Creek" is perfectly valid. Animals all only lived at a specific place and time, so you will almost always surely find their fossils in the appropriate geological beds. Seeing that the T-rex only lived during in a few specific parts of North America during the late Cretaceous (--> Hell Creek Fm), you won't be finding any of its fossils in other beds (like Miocene shell beds in Florida). It's just not gonna happen. 

 

Finally, if a scientist specialized in the subject tells you that what you have is not a fossil, then it is almost sure that they are correct. Worst that can happen is that they are wrong (which doesn't happen often: they're specialized in that field after all), but never will they lie. Especially about a science like paleontology, in which amateur contribution play a crucial role. 

And us folks on TFF are the same way: many of us know a lot about this subject, and have been into this passion since years if not decades for some. We won't lie to you either because there is no point in doing that, it will benefit us in no way whatsoever. 

 

Look like fossil plants to you? Well, nope: these are dendrites, a very common and purely inorganic mineral process. A classic example of pseudo-fossils.

For more examples, check out this thread. Some are much less obvious than others  

 

My excuses if this reply seemed a little "blunt" or negative. I do have some good news for you though: finding real fossils on your own is very easy!

You just need to know where to look, what to look for, etc. Preparing yourself before the hunt, gathering any necessary info and equipment. 

Here is a location in Nevada where you can find your own authentic plant fossils, 18 million years old! 

Some more searches on Google should deliver more results (but you need to make sure whether or not the location is accessible to amateurs). 

Now go out there and hunt some fossils!

And if you find any (which I am sure you will, if you search well enough), make sure to share some pictures with us!

 

Best regards and happy hunting!

 

Max

[Innocentx]

@Amicrazy. Welcome to the forum.

 

It's important to know that people on this forum are actually pulling for you to have found a genuine fossil. When they say you don't have one, it's not out of jealousy, cruelty, or any such thing as that.  

 

Your first photo may or may not contain a fossil. Well lit, in focus photos taken from different angles would tell the story. I don't have any opinion on the second one as yet.

 

The reactions you're receiving have a lot to do with how you have presented yourself. Please keep an open mind and you will find a lot of support here.

 

P.S. You're not crazy, just learning like the rest of us.

[LordTrilobite]

I completely agree with what Kane, Max-fossils and Innocentx said.

[hndmarshall]

I have a whole box of pseudo fossils but I like your crystal skull looking thingy its very interesting I have found some interesting things even though they were not what I thought and a few nice fossils and I am digging in the driveway!....gravel trucked in from the Brazos river. you never know what you will find and where