Anyone collect/hunt fossils?

reply to post by Raist


I just noticed I failed to load the photo of the 4 ambulacra blastoid.

So here it is. You will be able to see the difference now

Sorry to those who were looking for it.




This photo really lets you see what I am talking about.




Raist

VERY nice stuff!

I look for fossils when I get the chance, though I don't collect them. I'm a volunteer fossil preparator for the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science, and "my dinosaur" is part of the new Perot Museum (I didn't find her.... just worked on neckbones for 3 years.)

I did come across a fossil track of some sort a few weeks ago that I've got to take into the paleo lab and see what they make of it. It wasn't something I could identify ... but this means little, since I can't identify much.

Wow Byrd you have a great job.

I have a bunch of stuff I need to prep, but I also need to learn to prep for the most part as well.

I have a few blasters (need to make a blasting cabinet though), dental picks, and a dremel engraver.


If you ever feel like throwing any prepping pointers out I will be happy to catch them for you


Today I went out to the Mississippi river since it is way down and found a couple pieces of washed in pet wood. Looking under a mini scope they are from two different species. The smallest piece looks to be possibly palm wood. The larger one maybe a hard wood of some sort.


Raist

reply to post by Raist


I used to dig for them when I was young but had no luck, but ive bought a few over the years ammonites, a trilobite, a orthoceras (I think thats how its spelled)and a fern leaf are all i have though

reply to post by connorromanow


I have bought a few myself. There are a lot of places I cannot get to and look for fossils. I would love to be able to go to these places but life stands in the way. I do my hunting in areas that I can get to and get back home all in the same day.

I have bought trilobites, dino teeth, fish, ammonites, and such. I have bought them all off eBay of course. You have to watch really close buying stuff off there. I have seen a lot of fake stuff there or just really badly IDed things. While I might not have found everything it helps to fill out my collection and give it some different stuff.

Of course there is a spot around here to find dino stuff but it is private land and the only place dino fossils have been found in MO or IL. I have been lucky ehough to fall in with some really great people to help me out and have done some work in the field, not a lot but some.

I will try to get some more photos up in the next week including the pet wood I found today.

Raist

So here are my newest finds. I found these in an exposed sand bank in a river. I cannot say certain the age, though I believe they are Pleistocene. I have no idea what they come from or what part of the creature they are. I am fairly certain though that it is bone from looking at it through a microscope and comparing to cross sections of fossil bone.




























The largest piece is made up of 8 smaller parts. he 2 longer pieces also fit together. I think this is part of something like a shoulder blade, pelvis, or something like that.

Raist

Here is a closeup of the cell structure.

Sorry the photos are not the best, for now this is the best I can do.










Raist

reply to post by Raist


Nice collection there OP
Ill have to upload some of mine, I'm lucky to live in the Jurassic coast in the UK so yeah, fossils are an abundance!

reply to post by Wongbeedman


Thanks.

I would love to see what you have. I am surrounded for the majority of what was ocean life. We have a few Ice Age things and the one dino spot, but mostly a whole lot of underwater critters to be found.

If I ever get enough money to travel around to do some collecting/hunting I am heading to some places where I can find some land critters

Raist

Nice thread!
I don't have a degree in anything like geology or paleontology, But i have a massive interest in dinosaurs.

I started a mostly dinosaur fossil collection a while ago that is probably easily worth at least a couple thousand dollars.

Hopefully i can attend a dinosaur dig in the future. It usually cost about a thousand dollars and last from a couple of days to a week.

Lets see here.....
I have ammonites, orthoceras, Nostoseras and trilobite.
One ammonite is is pyritized, and some have an opal like coating.
Another large one has chambers that glow red when light passes through,
and one that has a colored Mica like sheen to it.

I have bones and teeth belonging to
Ankylosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, edmontosaurus, Tricerotops, Icthyosaur, mosasaur, oreodont, Pachycephalosaurus, poebrotherium, 2 specias of pterasaur, Rebbachisaurus, saurornitholestes, spinosaur, thescelosaurus, and a few raptor species.

I have shell fragments belonging to Hadrosaur, Hypselosaurus, oviraptor, saltasaurus, and titansaur.

I also have two whole eggs of Oviraptor and a hadrsaur with a good amount of shell intact.

I have a few other things as well. My favorite is the one thing i have found on my own.
Its an amazing arrowhead that i think i will use as my first Thread. It is scary perfect and I have never seen any arrow head that looks like it.

reply to post by 404ed


I have a few dino teeth and other stuff I have bought as well. I love them all but love the ones I find the most. I also have a few figures that sit with some of my fossiles to give an idea of what the fossil come from.

I would love to see some of your fossils. I hope you post some up soon.

Raist

reply to post by Raist


Sure thing!
I just have to get them uploaded on to an image site first.
Oh, and thanks for that fossil data program. Exactly what i needed.

A few of my fossils.

reply to post by 404ed


Wow those are some great fossils. I am seriously impressed with that leaf. That thing is fantastic, so beautiful.

I bet that one is one of your most prized pieces. Not saying your others are not cool but really that leaf is my favorite of them. It has amazing detail and color to it.


Did you find that one yourself or did you buy it? If you found it what did you do to prep it?

Raist

reply to post by Raist


I purchased the leaf. The only thing i have discovered myself is the arrow head.

The leaf has a really cool name. Neuropteris!
Darn..... Should have used that for my profile name.
Kinda sounds like a new member of the transformer lol.

It has been some time since I have added anything (it has been cold after all ), but have been getting out some this month. I also managed to empty the "collect all" room and start to make it into my fossil prep room.

These fossils come from the Glen Dean formation, it is from the Mississippian period.

The first is a Pentremites sp. I believe it is either the Globus or Spicatus.

Next are a few Diaphragmus sp.

Here are several Spirifer sp.

This crinoid calyx needs prepping.

These are Agassizocrinus sp. bases. These were stemless crinoids.

Here is a Rugosa sp. coral with one of the bases of the Agassizocrinus and a tiny brachiopod.

And finally here are a few Rugosa sp.

And for the heck of it, my fossil prep work area.

Enjoy

Raist

Love this thread,

I HAVE THE ATLAS FROM A WOOLY MAMMOTH. It amazes me that a bone only 13 inches wide supported the head of one of the most striking and majestic creatures to walk the planet. It needs a good clean and one of these days I will get it mounted to hang in my office. Us chiros have a special affinity for the atlas, after all...the original hole in one.

reply to post by rimjaja


Thanks.
I would love to see your piece. I believe my Pleistocene bone fragments are mammoth, but without more than I have it is pure speculation. I base it on other finds though from that area.

Raist

Hey, I don't mean to come off as rude, but do you happen to dig these up yourselves, or are you what Micheal Crichton's Alan Grant classify's as a "teacup dinosaur hunter"?

Again, Im not being rude, I just want to know if you like to get down and dirty in your business, which I am a HUGE fan if, by the way.

reply to post by SHolmes


I have some fossils I have bought simply because I cannot get to the places to collect them myself.

That said though everything you have seen so far in my posts was self collected. I get dirty, sweaty, bug bit, and a bit scratched up. I love collecting stuff myself. Nothing against buying stuff since like I said I buy some stuff, but nothing is as satisfying as getting it yourself.


Actually last Thursday I got ate up by Black Flies "Buffalo Flies". Talk about a bite that can make you miserable.


Raist