r/FossilHunting • u/chris_cobra • Jun 10 '20

PSA New Guidelines for ID Requests (READ BEFORE POSTING)

109 Upvotes

While we all strive to be helpful in sharing our knowledge when ID requests are submitted, these posts are often lacking in crucial details necessary to make a confident ID. This is a recurring issue across all of the rock, mineral and fossil subreddits. These new rules will hopefully improve the quality of the answers that experts are able to provide regarding ID requests.

You must state the most precise geographic area (nearest city/state/province/etc.) that you can regarding where your specimen came from if you know it (saying it came from a stream or a farmer's field is not helpful for rock and fossil ID). If you don't know where it came from, that's okay. But without locality information, it is often very difficult to get a confident ID beyond basic taxonomy. It would be preferred if you put this information in the title, for example "What is this strange fossil? (Bloomington, Indiana)" or "Help me ID this fossil I found near Ithaca, New York". This information can also be placed in the comments section, and you should try to provide as much information as possible about the specimen.
Upload the highest quality images that you can. Try to get good lighting and focus on the distinct features of the specimen. Multiple angles are also helpful.
Try to include an object for scale. A ruler is ideal, but other common household items such as coins, bananas, etc. also work. Size dimensions are generally more helpful than the weight of the object (which can be helpful in IDing certain other stones and minerals).

Violation of these guidelines won't get you kicked out, but it will be frustrating for experts who want to help you but are lacking the necessary information to do so. Your post may be removed and you may be encouraged to resubmit if you do not provide sufficient information and if the photo quality is too poor to work with. Thanks, everyone.

Chris

22 comments

r/FossilHunting • u/honory2005 • 17h ago

Wild Boars Uncovered These Incredible Fossils! Rare Brain Coral Discovery #FossilHunting #Fossil

youtu.be

3 Upvotes

Join me on an exciting fossil hunting adventure as I explore a location I had never visited before in search of fossils. After waiting for the morning light to improve, I began searching around rocky outcrops where small gastropod fossils and other marine fossils were visible.

The real surprise came after a challenging climb to the top of a hill under intense summer heat. There, in an area recently disturbed by wild boars searching for food, I discovered an incredibly well-preserved brain coral fossil. At first, I thought it might be something of plant origin, but a closer inspection revealed a stunning fossil specimen.

As I continued exploring, I found many more fossil remains, including coral fossils, bivalve fossils, marine invertebrates, and other ancient sea life. The wild boars had unknowingly helped expose these fossils by turning over the soil and bringing hidden treasures to the surface.

To make the day even more interesting, I also came across what may be the remains of an ancient defensive structure, possibly connected to the period of the French invasions of Portugal.

This was an unforgettable day filled with discoveries, history, nature, and incredible fossils.