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Hello After doing some reseaech on some big Chert nodules given to me...I went back through some Chert that I found along the northern North Sea coast of The Netherlands... I really like Chert...I have always been curious about mineral inclusions and/or fossils in Chert...I am having trouble finding laymans info on the subject...the info I do find is a bit overwhelming... Im hoping someone could help me out identifying some of the things that I am seeing in my pieces...I have pointed to points of interest to me... I have posted the photos twice...one in natural light and the one darkened...all the same stone...4" x 3" (10x7.5cm) I see lots of pattern in these pieces...Plant, animal, bubble, scratch, fracture?...too much info...Im unsure... This next photos are interesting to me because the area that I point to (this?) is the outside of the nodule and the grouping of grains (?) Seem to me to possibly be some of what I am looking at on the broken and, by nature, polised sides in the previous photos... The next photos are of a different piece of Chert that had been painted...I am a bit weary about using paint remover on it...concerned about discoloring it...I wiil experiment on a flake later... Anyway...also 4" x 3"... next are 2" x 3"...same side at two different angles... I appreciate any help identifying the "spots" in these two stones...if someone knows a link to a "identify-stuff-in-chert/flint" resource for a lay-person, that would also be greatly appreciated... Thanks in advance for your time

Marcel @Everhardus and his wife Josette are spending their holidays in the area right now. I had agreed to show them around and so we spent the day together visiting a couple of sites in the Wutach area. Here they are enjoying keeping their balance on a slope at the Scheffheu. I was happy that they were able to make a few nice finds and Marcel emailed me today to tell me that they'd had more success at the Callovian site. I unfortunately didn't make any more photos, but maybe they can post something here if he checks in. Meanwhile, I can at least show you the ammonites from the south of France which Marcel graciously gifted me as a thank you and which I managed to get prepped today. They are from the iron-rich Late Toarcian aalensis zone and all belong to the genus Pleydellia sp.

Hello gang. I have a fossil walnut described as: Cynorrea junglans, Pliocene, from Cuyck, Holland. Can someone please tell me it I have it identified correctly? Thanks in advance.

Somebody any idea ?

New here! I started collecting fossils on the Great Lakes two years ago. Spring turns up the best fossils and minerals. This looks like a Trilobite, can anyone lend me any more information?

Hi all, having some great finds along this part of the coast, I thought the beaches were getting picked over quite alot but the last three days 27,28,29.03.19 have been realy good, a real assortment of bone ie mammoth toe bone, teeth along with a mammoth partial tooth with root still intact, a first for me, and tusk, I really like the tusk part as its in really good condition, I take photoes of all my days finds so if any one would like to see more I would be pleased to share, thanks for looking. regards to all, AJG

Hello! Some of you may have heard the news. The Netherlands now has it's own T. rex and it was unveiled today! This is the same T. rex that @chele and her husband found in Montana back in 2013. After that it was dug up by a team of Naturalis the natural history museum in Leiden in cooperation with the Black Hills Institute. This museum also bought the T. rex. Around 5 million euros was crowdfunded to make this possible. The skeleton was prepared in the Black Hills Institute by Pete Larson and his team. The T. rex is of the robust morph and thus probably a female. The animal has been named Trix after our former queen Beatrix. As of spetember 10th the skeleton will be viewable by the public for a time. As the museum is in the middle of a huge renovation the skeleton is temporarily housed in the only part that is open to the public now. I don't know the exact dates but the skeleton will go on tour and in 2018 the skeleton should get it's final resting place in the new dinosaur hall at the museum. The staff of the museum got a preview before the unveiling (I'm a volunteer at the fossil prep lab) so I was lucky enough that I could take some photos. So without further ado. Some pictures... I noticed that the pectoral girdle seems to be positioned really low compared to other reconstructions. Lastly a picture of one of the information panels. This shows how much of the skeleton is real. I've been told around 75% to 80% of the bone volume is present. Some more information on this T. rex. - The animal is now named Trix. After the former Dutch queen Beatrix. - Trix is in the top 3 of best preserved T. rexes. - The skeleton is of the robust morph. So it's probably female. - This is the only T. rex skeleton in the world that is mounted with the real skull. - The missing bones were 3d printed. Some mirrored versions of bones that were present. And some bones based on Sue, such as the feet. - Trix was prepped in the Black Hills Institute. - Trix is about the same size as Sue. - There are a lot of pathologies. This includes T. rex bitemarks on the jaw and broken ribs. - After this temporary exhibit and tour the skeleton will be permanently housed in the new dinosaur hall in Naturalis in Leiden. Because it's some part news, part fossil hunting trip and part museum visit I figured it best fitted being in general discussion.

Hi A little pun referring to the last welcome post - I'm actually from Holland, but the majority of my fossil collection (cough..a 100% so far) is present in Northern-Spain, where I reside for 1-2 months every year. I'm not retired, no, just very keen on escaping the dutch cold spring's and autumns...as well as quite crazy about mountains, forests, fossils, mountainbiking and hiking. Things I can all combine in the peace and quiet of the Bierzo region! I'm 33 years old, and am part-time documentary/art photographer, part-time graphics designer/webdesigner and a bit of this and that on the sides when money is slow (isn't it always since the crisis!). This allows me to be rather flexible in where I am at any time of the year, as long as I have internet. Which I have, albeit pigeon/smoke-signal internet. I've been lurking on this forum for a while now (on-and-off for a number of years), and have decided to settle down here because of seemingly friendly atmosphere and varied nationalities present. Other fossil forums somehow seemed a bit less fun I'm not sure if it's common to add a photo of one's self, but here we go (The literate-sailor-look was carefully picked before I embarked on a completely budget trip with DFDS Seaways to Newcastle. I knew that sweater would come in handy one day! p.s. Normally I'm just a nerd!) :