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Utera

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Hey guys. I am a new member and currently an 18-year-old freshman college student. I am currently going through basics but as a kid, I loved dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures. I recently have thought about changing my major from biology to paleontology. I am a fossil collector and hope to collect hundreds of examples of prehistoric life. As I said I'm a fossil collector but a novice at it. I know relatively what a given organism is but I want to know, if possible, the species. If they are completely unidentifiable, no worries. I might add that all of these fossils did not have locations of where they were found except the starfish which was found in Morocco. I'm making a log of all my fossils and want to know the genus of each individual one. I have linked a google drive folder with all the images of the ones I would like identified if possible. Feel free to message me with any questions or just to get to know me. I'm open to making friends with fellow lovers of life. Thanks.

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1m0QB8pmy-snZYujwb6Fy06flKsRxQK3E

Edited by Utera
Introducing where the fossils were found
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I might add that all of these fossils did not have locations of where they were found except the starfish which was found in Morocco.

Edited by Utera
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4 minutes ago, Utera said:

I recently have thought about changing my major from biology to paleontology.

Hello Utera, and a big WELCOME to TFF from Austin, Texas - Hook 'em!;) 

I love your love of life.  I am an elder student of life myself. 

Having been a freshman,  a sophomore (literally - wise fool) most of my life, I'd like to offer that at 18 and a freshman, you are in just the right place to be asking what you really want to major in.  Let the process develop without forcing it or worrying about it.  If you lose your path along the way, don't quit searching, you will find it again.  Just follow your passion.  And remember - double majors are certainly not unheard of, especially when it comes to such closely related subjects as biology and paleontology.  AND - with either of these majors you will want to think about an advanced degree to get the most bang for the buck.  That opens the door to research that can combine both of the interests for a fruitful research project. 

Enjoy your college years, study hard, keep your nose clean, but  do have sensible safe fun along the way, and you will do fine and find your direction.

 

(I sound like a . . . ) Grandpa:)

 

P.S.  Oklahoma is a great place for fossils, and OK they have an alright football program too. :D

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If you could post the photos directly here, that would be ideal as third-party links tend to expire over time which would render this thread of little value in future. Some of our members are also not inclined to click on third-party links to view photos that might be better viewed here. Thanks, and welcome. :) 

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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5 hours ago, Utera said:

Hey guys. I am a new member and currently an 18-year-old freshman college student. I am currently going through basics but as a kid, I loved dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures. I recently have thought about changing my major from biology to paleontology. I am a fossil collector and hope to collect hundreds of examples of prehistoric life. As I said I'm a fossil collector but a novice at it. I know relatively what a given organism is but I want to know, if possible, the species. If they are completely unidentifiable, no worries. I might add that all of these fossils did not have locations of where they were found except the starfish which was found in Morocco. I'm making a log of all my fossils and want to know the genus of each individual one. I have linked a google drive folder with all the images of the ones I would like identified if possible. Feel free to message me with any questions or just to get to know me. I'm open to making friends with fellow lovers of life. Thanks.

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1m0QB8pmy-snZYujwb6Fy06flKsRxQK3E

 

I started out in bio and considered paleo, but soon realized that I like to eat and have a roof over my head.  Instead, I went into "soft rock" (sedimentary) geology, and took paleo courses as electives.  This avenue has provided 25 years of gainful employment in the environmental field as a hydrogeologist.  Had the oil and gas field been anything more than anemic earlier in my career, I might have gone into it.  Interestingly, my paleo interest  has helped me with my job, and my job has helped me with my fossil collecting.  

 

If you like microfossils or molluscan fossils (one of my interests), it can indeed be of great value in the oil & gas or environmental field in terms of lithologic logging during well drilling.

 

Feel free to PM me if you'd like some advice

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'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'

George Santayana

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3 hours ago, Kane said:

If you could post the photos directly here, that would be ideal as third-party links tend to expire over time which would render this thread of little value in future. Some of our members are also not inclined to click on third-party links to view photos that might be better viewed here. Thanks, and welcome. :) 

I had tried that but all of the images are too big to be posted here.

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Posting photos here for posterity and to avoid broken links.

 

Looks like some typical Moroccan stuff, except for the "cockroach" (Cricket? ) that may be from China.

 

IMG_2737.JPG  IMG_2740.JPG

 

IMG_2741.JPG  IMG_2746.JPG

 

IMG_2751.JPG  IMG_2758-vert.jpg

 

5d7f81c617dd7_CopyofIMG_2756.thumb.JPG.ea1eaa260311ab237386321d36465934.jpg

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    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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The fossils you have in your pics look like they are all from Morocco. I've taken the liberty of edit them to make them smaller and add to this topic.

 

The Trilobite is one of the "Mud Trilobites" due to the way they are preserved and found. It's a species of Fleximcalymene.

IMG_2746.thumb.JPG.4f495c06dd394a9da66a170019d8d81a.JPG

 

The Crinoid is Scyphocrinites elegans

IMG_2751.thumb.JPG.b1d9abc77c7dacf242f2faf2a6aac630.JPG

 

I can't tell you what the Starfish or Echinoid ("Spherical Sand dollar" as you call it) are but both look to be from Morocco

IMG_2737.thumb.JPG.e9b44147465b0258dbf52e8e05947319.JPG

IMG_2741.thumb.JPG.fcd0c40735123b6e488e0e3d9611ddda.JPG

 

The Fossil Cockroach I would say is either from the Jurassic of China or possibly the Cretaceous of Brazil. I am not knowledgeable enough to ID any further.

IMG_2740.thumb.JPG.1a594eae0a962eb4c9d9ed008a50fbb9.JPG

 

The Ammonites are polished and look Moroccan but other than that, I don't know anything.

5d7f81c617dd7_CopyofIMG_2756.thumb.JPG.ea1eaa260311ab237386321d36465934.JPG

 

 

Dave

 

Edit: Fossildude is faster than me at editing!

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-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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4 minutes ago, Shamalama said:

Dave

 

Edit: Fossildude is faster than me at editing!

 

Good to see you on again, Dave. :) 

Thanks: you just made my day. 

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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7 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

 

Good to see you on again, Dave. :) 

Thanks: you just made my day. 

Been distracted and busy. Pseudo lurking these days but wanted to help out. :)

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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1 minute ago, Shamalama said:

Been distracted and busy. Pseudo lurking these days but wanted to help out. :)

Pseudo lurking?  You're either lurking or your not.  :heartylaugh:

 

 

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4 minutes ago, caldigger said:

Pseudo lurking?  You're either lurking or your not.  :heartylaugh:

:ninja:

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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7 minutes ago, caldigger said:

I think the ammonite ( judging from the rainbow nacre ) looks to be from Madagascar. 

I think you are correct.

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-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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Thank you to Ludwigia, caldigger, shamalama, fossildude19 and thanks to everyone who has helped me out. I very much appreciate it. 

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