ASKING FOR ID - Tips For Posting In The Id Section - (NEW MEMBERS PLEASE READ)

[Gatorman 41]

When posting in the ID section it is very important to follow these simple guidelines. Images should be in focus and the fossil should take up most of the photo, it is important that the details of the fossil can be seen. With some fossils it is necessary to take multiple images of the fossil at different angles. It is also important to tell us what formation or location the fossil was found or to know the geologic age of the fossil. When posting a new topic for an id be as descriptive as you can in the title instead of putting id needed put mammal tooth id need or if you think you might know what it is put in the title what you think it is followed by a question mark.

If anyone else would like to add to this please do so.

<EDIT> A good example may be seen by clicking on this link: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?showtopic=9913&view=findpost&p=112443

[worthy 55 6]

I will try harder to add as much info as I can. I agree with you Anson, I am learning as I go along. It's just some of the names for some of these fossils are like learning a new language if you know what I mean . So please bear with me, thanks.

[artofextinction 3]

I will do the same Anson,thanks for some direction in the fossil chaos.

ArtofExtinction

[Guest solius symbiosus]

I would just like to add, there is a section with simplified geologic maps for North America, Australia, and Canada HERE. It is very important to include, at the very least, the geologic time in which the fossil was found ... if it all possible.

As Anson noted, give an area where the fossil was found(if you are unsure about the maps) and someone one on the forum will provide relevant time period.

[mako-mama 5]

I would just like to add, there is a section with simplified geologic maps for North America, Australia, and Canada HERE. It is very important to include, at the very least, the geologic time in which the fossil was found ... if it all possible.

As Anson noted, give an area where the fossil was found(if you are unsure about the maps) and someone one on the forum will provide relevant time period.

It is essential in most cases to also include a scale of some sort-ruler, coin, etc.---anything but your hand!

[Bill 21]

It is essential in most cases to also include a scale of some sort-ruler, coin, etc.---anything but your hand!

I have to disagree here, (although I've done it myself with small items, probably larger ones too), rulers in a pic' are ok as long as the item is not too 3 dimensional. A thin flat slab, with an insect on it, will show roughly the correct size against a ruler. A ruler on the table next to a mammoth skull, will not. I don't know the size of a cent, dime, silver dollar, etc, just as others might not know the size of a British 1p, 5p, 10p, etc. Likewise I don't know the size of every cell phone out there.

It takes no longer to actually measure a specimen, at least the longest length, than it does to place a ruler next to it.

Actual measurements are the way to go.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Bill

[fossilman7 0]

well my take on this and my methods are............tacos rule!

[Auspex 3,447]

well my take on this and my methods are............tacos rule!

As long as the picture is bright and sharp, and you tell us the length of the taco and where you found it, we'll do our best!

[Harry Pristis 3,518]

If you don't have the knowledge-base and haven't done the research, be cautious about speculating on the ID of a presumptive fossil.

Provide whatever reliable information you have, and let someone else here make the ID. Other subscribers who commit to an ID may be correct, or they may be all wet. Either way, you won't be embarrassed when the true nature of the object is discerned.

All of us should remember that every loopy, ill-informed thing we post on TFF may be picked up by search engines and stored forever (for the lifetime of TFF archives) on the Internet. They become part of our Internet profiles. Our grandchildren will be able to see how much or how little paleobiology we understood in 2011.

Edited March 27, 2011 by Harry Pristis

[Maniraptoran 1]

somehow i feel this is directed at me...

[Sharkbyte 12]

Here is how I feel about posting a thought or assumption on ID'ng a fossil. DON"T BE AFFRAID TO BE WRONG. If your shown to be wrong and you know it then you learned something. I know for certain that a lot of people will just not say what they think or comment because they are not wanting to look silly or get embarrased. To that I say. PTHTHTHTHTHTHTHTTTTT. Guess what. We are all going to be wrong at one time or another. Myself, I fall in the another category. I have been wrong more than once and will be wrong again but I am constantly learning and I am meeting and communicating with a lot of great people. I enjoy the Forum very much. I am sure that a person is going to learn quite a bit more by being interactive in regards to posting as opposed to sitting back and watching. Just try to at least have a good reason or basis for making an ID guess instead of just throwing something out there. Now regarding posting pictures. I picked up a few good pointers from this topic today. I always try tp post the highest quality pictures that I can from various angles and try to give any information that I know but I never thought about using coins for size reference. This is a worldwide used site and to some people my coins mean nothing. I am still going to use them but I will add measurements where I feel it may be helpfull. Thanks everyone.

I have included a picture of one of my better wrong guesses and even though the posting took a few back and forth arguments, I WAS wrong but I learned quite a bit from Tracer and Auspex and now I have a great personal find that is NOT AN EGG but that taught me so much because I did not give up on the first comment that said I was wrong. I kept picking at the scab and I kept back and forth commenting till I learned all that I wanted to know. I got a little piece of info at a time. Notice that my picture failed to include a ruler or coin but in my defense, in the posting I did include measurements.

NOT AN EGG "CONCRETION"

[snikt.biff 1]

I would just like to add, there is a section with simplified geologic maps for North America, Australia, and Canada HERE. It is very important to include, at the very least, the geologic time in which the fossil was found ... if it all possible.

As Anson noted, give an area where the fossil was found(if you are unsure about the maps) and someone one on the forum will provide relevant time period.

This link doesn't work. I would love to see the map you are referring to. Do you, by chance, know of a different map I can look at?

[Kenf50 0]

i want to send pics of a dinaosaur gizzard how do i do it

[Auspex 3,447]

i want to send pics of a dinaosaur gizzard how do i do it

This tutorial will be helpful: >LINK<

[hitekmastr 45]

My wife and I used these guidelines when we first started posting and having visited 10 sites in 2 months, we had a wide variety of fossils from 3 different periods and very limited knowledge - so these guidelines were VERY helpful for us. Our favorite tips for posting to Fossil Forum are: a) including something to show scale/size (I use a centimeter ruler and occasionally a penny), getting different angles and closeup shots (most digital cameras have a closeup tulip symbol that let you get really close), c) using Photoshop to frame the fossil close and using "image size" to reduce the size to about 5 inches to keep the memory small (and conserve space on this site), d) sometimes we use Photoshop to increase the contrast which helps define the lines/boundaries/contours, and...most important...e) we are never shy about asking dumb questions or posting questions that we know may be obvious to veterans and experts/professionals. We are really grateful to have access to this open network of paleo-enthusiasts, amateurs as well as professionals, worldwide - this site actually got us into fossil collecting VERY fast as you can see from our posts.

[fossil sam 0]

I have a few fossils I found in kerrville,tx that I would like to know what they are.

[Auspex 3,447]

I have a few fossils I found in kerrville,tx that I would like to know what they are.

Welcome aboard, Sam! Start a new topic in the "Fossil ID" forum and post some pictures.

[Hooper 1]

im still having truble trying to post a pic..i cant find out how to do it or how to upload it

[Hooper 1]

plz can any one help me

[Wrangellian 1,394]

If you could describe where you're running into problems I might be able to help, otherwise I'm not really sure where to start. Your total file size needs to be below 2MB for starters..

[Hooper 1]

ok

im trying to post a pic of a fossil i have to get it id'ed but i cant seam to find out how to upload the pis in a post

[Hooper 1]

sorry picture s

[Wrangellian 1,394]

First, in case you're missing this point: you click 'start new topic' at the upper right (top of page). At the bottom of where you type there is a button that says 'Choose files' (above it 'attach photos'), then you choose your photo from your harddrive, then 'save' (or just double-click the thumbnail)... wait for it to load, then click 'add reply' at bottom of page. Let us know if you're still having trouble, I know I had problems the first time I tried posting a pic but can never remember offhand all the steps and where the difficult part was..

[Fossildude19 8,423]

ok

im trying to post a pic of a fossil i have to get it id'ed but i cant seam to find out how to upload the pis in a post

Hi, and welcome to the Forum.

Check this post for some more info on posting pics.

Regards,

[RichW9090 340]

There is nothing wrong with being wrong! There is not one single person on this Forum who has not made an incorrect identification. Not one. I try to run with a couple of simple guidelines.

1. All identifications made from a photograph are provisional. All of them. Always keep that in mind.
2. More important than dispensing with an authoratative appearing identification deus es machina is describing why you think it is what you believe it to be. Describing the process of how you eliminate certain things, or how you allocate the fossil to a taxon, at whatever level, is what helps others learn.
3. A simple measurement or a scale (always parallel to the focal plane of the camera) will prevent a lot of incorrect identifications.

For my part, I prefer for the person with an unknown to withhold the location/geological age for a bit. I use the biological approach first, and then the other information. Others prefer to have the location/age of the fossil right up front.

Rich

Edited March 13, 2013 by RichW9090