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2023 VERTEBRATE FOSSIL OF THE YEAR (VFOTY) The winner of the 2023 VFOTY goes to... Crocodile skull - Lower Jurassic, Upper Lias - Yorkshire Coast, Whitby, England Congratulations to @LiamL !!!

Here we are with our 2023 VFOTY contest entries. These are all 12 of our VFOTM winners from 2023, listed in the order of the month they won. Carefully review these entries and vote for the one you think deserves the title of 2023 Vertebrate Fossil Of The Year! Poll closes on the 25th of January just before midnight. You can also vote for the 2023 Invertebrate / Plant Fossil Of The Year contest HERE. 1. Parrotfish (Scaridae) dentary (beak) - Oligocene (Ashley Fm/Chandler Bridge Fm) - Summerville, South Carolina 2. Paramylodon harlani (Harlan’s Ground Sloth) upper second molar (M2) - Pleistocene, Peace River Formation - Hardee County, Florida 3. Mammuthus columbi, Columbian Mammoth, lower left molar - Undifferentiated Pleistocene Sands - Hardee County, Florida 4. Ceratopsian horn - Late Cretaceous, (76.5-74.4 Ma) - Cretaceous, Dinosaur Park Fm - Steveville Area, Newell County, Alberta Canada 5. Hadrosaurid ungual w/ pathology - Late Cretaceous, Campanian, Dinosaur Park Formation, (76.5-74.4 Ma) - Alberta, Canada 6. Crocodile skull - Lower Jurassic, Upper Lias - Yorkshire Coast, Whitby, England 7. Brachauchenius lucasi pliosaur tooth - Cretaceous (Middle Turonian), Kamp Ranch Limestone - North Texas 8. Pelagosaurus sp. (crocodile skull) - Upper Lias, Lower Jurassic - Whitby, UK 9. Hadrosaurid tooth battery - Late Cretaceous, Dinosaur Park Frm - Newell County, Alberta, Canada 10. Pachycephalosaur skull dome - Late Cretaceous (Campanian), Dinosaur Park Fm, (74.4 Ma) - Newell County, Alberta, Canada 11. Platypterygius australis ichthyosaur - Early Cretaceous, Toolebuc Formation - NW Queensland, Australia 12. Pelagonithid bony-toothed bird jaw - Late Miocene / Pliocene - North Canterbury, New Zealand

2022 VERTEBRATE FOSSIL OF THE YEAR (VFOTY) The winner of the 2022 VFOTY goes to... Penguin (taxon indet.) - Late Miocene, likely Greta Fm - Canterbury, New Zealand Congratulations @mamlambo !!!

Here we are with our 2022 VFOTY contest entries. These are all 12 of our VFOTM winners from 2022, listed in the order of the month they won. Carefully review these entries and vote for the one you think deserves the title of 2022 Vertebrate Fossil Of The Year! Poll closes on the 25th of January just before midnight. You can also vote for the 2022 Invertebrate / Plant Fossil Of The Year contest HERE. 1. Metatheria (marsupial) tooth - Late Cretaceous, Aguja Fm (~82-77 Ma) - Brewster County, Texas 2. Mammuthus columbi mammoth skull segment with ear bone - Pleistocene - Brazos River, southeast Texas 3. Glikmanius occidentalis cladodont tooth - Late Pennsylvanian (Finis Shale; Graham Formation) - Jacksboro, Texas 4. Enchodus fish jaw - Cretaceous, Cenomanian - Cap-blanc-Nez, France 5. Nothosaurus sp. sauropterygian reptile skull - Triassic, Muschelkalk - Winterswijk, The Netherlands 6. Mazonova helmichnus (Amphibian Eggs) - Carboniferous, Francis Creek Shale - Pit 11 (Mazon Creek) Braidwood, Illinois 7. Mosasaur (Tylosaurus?) tail section - Pierre Shale, Campanian, Upper Cretaceous - South Dakota 8. Plesiosaurus sp. paddle bones/digits - Lower Jurassic (Toarcian), Whitby Mudstone Formation - Yorkshire Coast, Whitby, England 9. Ptychodus mortoni associated toothset - Upper Cretaceous (Santonian), Satan Tongue of the Mancos Shale - Sandoval Co., New Mexico 10. Basilosaurid indet. whale tooth (P3 or P4 premolar) - Eocene, Castle Hayne Formation, Comfort Member - Jones County, North Carolina 11. Petalodus ohioensis cartilaginous fish tooth - Upper Pennsylvanian, Harpersville Formation - Coleman County, Texas 12. Penguin (taxon indet.) - Late Miocene, likely Greta Fm - Canterbury, New Zealand

2021 VERTEBRATE FOSSIL OF THE YEAR (VFOTY) The winner of the 2021 VFOTY goes to... Aepycamelus sp. camel jaw - Middle Miocene, Clarendonian, Truckee River Fm. - Nevada Congratulation to @NevadaHunter !!!

Here we are with our 2021 VFOTY contest entries. These are all 12 of our VFOTM winners from 2021, listed in the order of the month they won. Carefully review these entries and vote for the one you think deserves the title of 2021 Vertebrate Fossil Of The Year! Poll closes on the 27th of January just before midnight. You can also vote for the 2021 Invertebrate / Plant Fossil Of The Year contest HERE. 1. Megaloolithidae dinosaur egg - Upper Cretaceous, Campanian (74 Ma) - Bouches-du-Rhône, France 2. Cincosaurus cobbi trackways - Carboniferous Period, Pottsville Formation (358.9-288.9 Ma) - Central Alabama 3. Cretodus sp. shark tooth - Late Cretaceous, Eagle Ford Group - Denton County, Texas 4. Peripristis semicircularis shark tooth - LaSalle Limestone (Late Pennsylvanian) - LaSalle Co., Illinois 5. Daspletosaurus sp. tyrannosaurid tooth - Late Cretaceous, Dinosaur Park FM - Steveville Area, Alberta, Canada 6. Turrisaspis sp. dorsal median plate - Upper Devonian, Catskill Formation - Pennsylvania 7. Aspidichthys cf. placoderm armor - Late Devonian (Frasnian) Neuville Fm - Chimay, Belgium 8. Tyrannosaurus rex tooth - Late Cretaceous - Alberta, Canada 9. Protohadros byrdi dentary tooth - Woodbine Formation, Cretaceous - Denton County, Texas 10. Aepycamelus sp. camel jaw - Middle Miocene, Clarendonian, Truckee River Fm. - Nevada 11. Basal Mosasaur - Cretaceous (Turonian), Eagle Ford Formation - Central Texas 12. Multituberculate (cf. Meniscoessus sp.) incisor - Cretaceous, Campanian, Aguja Fm, (~82-77 Ma) - Brewster County, Texas

2020 VERTEBRATE FOSSIL OF THE YEAR (VFOTY) The winner of the 2020 VFOTY goes to... Bird (Species unknown) - Eocene (52 Ma) - American Fossil Quarry, Wyoming Congratulations to @sseth!!!

Here we are with our 2020 VFOTY contest entries. These are all 12 of our VFOTM winners from 2020, listed in the order of the month they won. Carefully review these entries and vote for the one you think deserves the title of 2020 Vertebrate Fossil Of The Year! Poll closes on the 24th of January just before midnight. You can also vote for the 2020 Invertebrate / Plant Fossil Of The Year contest HERE. 1. Bird (Species unknown) - Eocene (52 Ma) - American Fossil Quarry, Wyoming 2. Diprotodontid pelvis (likely Zygomaturus trilobus) - Pleistocene - Queensland, Australia 3. Primate jaw with teeth - Bridgerian, Middle Eocene - Blue Rim, Wyoming 4. Platecarpus mosasaur - Cretaceous, Taylor Group, Ozan Formation - North Sulphur River, Texas 5. Triceratops prorsus right dentary - Upper Hell Creek Formation, Upper Cretaceous - Powder River County, Montana 6. Placoderm fish (Cowralepis mclachlani) - ~385 Ma (Middle Devonian); Merriganowry Shale Member of the Dulladerry Volcanics - Central West NSW, Australia 7. Archaeotherium mortoni entelodont jaw - White River Formation. Eocene/Oligocene - Wyoming 8. Syllomus aegyptiacus sea turtle - Miocene, Lower Calvert Formation (likely Bed 3b) - King and Queen County, Virginia 9. Clidastes sp. mosasaur jaw - Late Cretaceous, Ozan formation (Lower Taylor Marl) - NSR, North Texas 10. Edestus sp. shark jaw with teeth - Pennsylvanian Fort Scott Fm. (Desmoinesian) - Roger County, Oklahoma 11. Anzu wyliei hand claw (possibly digit I) - Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), Hell Creek Formation - Powder River Co. , Montana 12. Nanosaurus sp. ornithischian jaw - Late Jurassic, Morrison Formation - Natrona County, Wyoming

2019 VERTEBRATE FOSSIL OF THE YEAR (VFOTY) Ichthyosaurus sp. (possibly I. communis) - Jurassic (Hettangian) - circa 190 MYA - Preplanobis Beds, Lavernock Point, UK Congratulations to @Welsh Wizard !!!

Here we are with our 2019 VFOTY contest entries. These are all 12 (13, a baker's dozen!) of our VFOTM winners from 2019, listed in the order of the month they won. Carefully review these entries and vote for the one you think deserves the title of 2019 Vertebrate Fossil Of The Year! Poll closes on the 25th of January just before midnight. You can also vote for the 2019 Invertebrate / Plant Fossil Of The Year contest HERE. 1. Bison sp. (likely Bison bison) - Pleistocene (2.6-.01 Ma) - Collin County, TX, USA 2. Holmesina sp. giant armadillo jaw section - Late Pliocene-Pleistocene - Sarasota County, FL 3. Capybara skull - Pleistocene - Brazos River, Texas 4. Lepidotes mantelli fish - Valanginian, Early Cretaceous - Sussex, UK 5. Ground sloth claw core (exact species unknown) - Pleistocene - Santander, Colombia 6. Ptychodus marginalis hybodontiform shark tooth - Cretaceous, Turonian (Eagle Ford South Bosque Member) - Travis County, Texas 7. Pseudemys floridana or P. williamsi turtle carapace with predation marks - Miocene-Holocene, Bone Valley Formation - Peace River, Florida 8. Articulated ichthyosaur vertebrae with rib, paddle bone and belemnites - Jurassic - Yorkshire Coast, UK 9. Ichthyosaurus sp. (possibly I. communis) - Jurassic (Hettangian) - circa 190 Ma - Preplanobis Beds, Lavernock Point, UK 10. Upper and lower peccary jaw section - Miocene, opal bearing bentonite clay layer - Royal Peacock Opal Mine, Humboldt County, Nevada 11. Mammuthus primigenius, woolly mammoth molar - Weichselian, late Pleistocene (40 Ka) - Zandmotor, Netherlands (dredged from North Sea) 12. Small Fish jaw with teeth (unknown species) - Jet Rock or Alum Shale Series, Upper Lias, Jurassic - Whitby, North Yorkshire Coast, England 13. Palorchestes sp. (P. azael?) marsupial - Pleistocene - Queensland, Australia

2018 VERTEBRATE FOSSIL OF THE YEAR (VFOTY) Palaeotherium magnum Skull and Mandible from the Upper Eocene of Southwest France! Congrats to @caterpillar

Here we are with our 2018 VFOTY contest entries. These are all 12 of our VFOTM winners from 2018, listed in the order of the month they won. Carefully review these entries and vote for the one you think deserves the title of 2018 Vertebrate Fossil Of The Year! Poll closes on the 25th of January just before midnight. You can also vote for the 2018 Invertebrate / Plant Fossil Of The Year contest HERE. 1. Shrew (Soricidae) left mandible - Melbourne Bone Bed, Late Pleistocene - Indian River spoil pile Merritt Island, Florida, USA 2. Saurodon fish jaw - Cretaceous Atco Formation of Austin Group, Cretaceous - Dallas, Texas, USA 3. Mammuthus columbi mammoth tusk - Pleistocene - North Sulphur River, North Texas, USA 4. Thylacoleo carnifex marsupial lion skull - Pleistocene - Queensland, Australia 5. Palaeotherium magnum skull and mandible - Upper Eocene - Southwestern France 6. Elonichthys peligerus fish - Middle Pennsylvanian - Wilmington, Illinois, USA 7. Cowralepis mclachlani placoderm - Middle Devonian - West of Cowra, NSW, Australia 8. Orthacanthus compressus (Shark) - Upper Pennsylvanian, Upper Freeport #7 Coal - Linton Mine, SE Ohio, USA 9. Ichthyosaur remains - Whitby Mudstone Formation (Toarcian, Lower Jurassic) - Yorkshire Coast, Whitby, England 10. Tylosaurus proriger mosasaur tooth - Ozan Member of the Taylor Formation, Upper Cretaceous - North Sulphur River, Texas, USA 11. Undetermined (Tyrannosaurus rex orTriceratops horridus) dinosaur rib - Upper Cretaceous (Hell Creek Formation) - Montana, USA 12. Canis dirus (Dire Woff) tooth - Pleistocene (unidentified offshore unit) - Beach find near Charleston, South Carolina, USA

The winner of the 2017 vertebrate fossil of the year goes to... @jcbshark's incredible Giant Tortoise (Hesperotestudo) Foot and Associated Osteoderms from the Pleistocene of Sarasota County, Florida! This was a hard fought contest with a lot of incredible fossils, but this emerged the clear winner after well over 100 members cast their votes. Congratulations @jcbshark!

Here we are with our 2017 VFOTY contest entries. These are all 12 of our month's vertebrate winners, listed in order from the month they won. Carefully review the options and vote for the entry you think deserves to win the title of the 2017 Vertebrate Fossil of the Year! Poll closes on the 26th of January. You can also vote on the 2017 Invertebrate / Plant Fossil of the Year contest HERE. 1. Allodesmus kernensis mandible with an upper incisor and a cetacean vertebra - Middle Miocene Round Mountain Silt - California, USA 2. Partial Porpoise/Dolphin Skeleton - Miocene Calvert Formation - Central Virginia, USA 3. Legless Amphibian (Phlegethontia longissima) - Carbondale Formation - Illinois, USA 4. Diplurus newarki Coelacanth - Late Triassic Lockatong Formation - North Bergen, New Jersey, USA 5. Sloth Claw and Associated Phalanx - Pleistocene - Southwest Florida, USA 6. Oreodont and Possible Daphoenus - Eocene-Oligocene White River Formation - Lusk, Wyoming, USA 7. Pachyrhizodus marathonensis Fish - Cretaceous Toolebuc Formation - Queensland, Australia 8. Associated Ichthyosaur Bones - Lower Jurassic - Kromer Quarry, Germany 9. Didelphodon sp. Left Dentary - Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation - Butte County, South Dakota, USA 10. Hesperotestudo (Giant Tortoise) Foot and Associated Osteoderms - Pleistocene - Sarasota County, Florida, USA 11. Crocodile (Pallimnarchus pollens) Jaw - Plio-Pleistocene - Australia 12. Poebrotherium Camel Jaw - Oligocene White River Formation - Chadron, Nebraska, USA

The Winner of the 2016 Vertebrate Find Of The Year is the Dracoraptor hanigani associated dinosaur bones from the Jurassic Lower Lias (Hettangian Stage) of South Wales, U.K.!!! Congratulations to Nick (Welsh Wizard) on the discovery of additional associated bones from his newly published dinosaur! Thanks to @Welsh Wizard for sharing part of a world class find!!! I would also like to congratulate, again, the other eleven winners in 2016!

It is that time, again...time to look back at the monthly winners in our 2016 contests! You can exhaust the descriptive terms needed to elaborate on these finds, but we still need to pick a winner. Opinions are welcome. (disclaimer: The Fossil Forum is not responsible for physical or mental maladies that occur while making your decision. Please consult your own mind, family, friends and strangers if you need assistance making your choice. ) Review these winners and cast your vote for the 2016 Vertebrate Find Of The Year! You can vote in the other contest HERE. The Polls will end on January 14th. 1. January 2016 VFOTM - Dracoraptor hanigani associated dinosaur bones from the Jurassic Lower Lias (Hettangian Stage) of South Wales, U.K. 2. February 2016 VFOTM - Edmontosaurus annectens Hadrosaur Metatarsal and Caudal Vertebra from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota, U.S.A. 3. March 2016 VFOTM - Partial Probocidean tusk from the Pleistocene deposits of Florida 4. April 2016 VFOTM - Cetacean tooth from the Middle Miocene Round Mountain Silt of California, U.S.A. 5. May 2016 VFOTM - Diprotodon optatum lower jaw from the Pleistocene deposits near Queensland, Australia 6. June 2016 VFOTM - Heliobatus radians stingray from the Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming, U.S.A. 7. July 2016 VFOTM - Unidentified small fish from the Early Eocene (Ypresian) Fur Formation of Denmark 8. August 2016 VFOTM - Triceratops horridus ceratopsian dinosaur horn from the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of Montana, USA 9. September 2016 VFOTM - Allodesmus sp. pinniped canine tooth from the Late Miocene Santa Margarita Formation of California, USA 10. October 2016 VFOTM - Associated shark vertebrae from the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Formation of Texas, USA 11. November 2016 VFOTM - Stingray barb from the Burdigalian (Miocene) deposit of Portugal 12. December 2016 VFOTM - Partial Chiroptera (bat) dentary from the Late Pleistocene of Florida, U.S.A. Congratulations to all these winners! @Welsh Wizard @Troodon @joshuajbelanger @ynot @Ash @sseth @Sylvestersen @Charizard @caldigger @John S. @Vieira @old bones