Happy Belated National Fossil Day

[Gerald Wilgus]

It was Oct. 13 and I missed it. I enjoy paleontology and the view of deep time that it provides. So for a real treat here is something from a fascinating site, the Ashfall Fossil Beds near Royal Nebraska. It taught me that Nebraska is not flyover country. Here is a view from the Rhino Barn. [edit] An entire rhino herd and associated animals were greviously injured inhaling volcanic ash from an eruption in Idaho 12 million years ago, died, and were entombed. Some with babies resting against them. Does anybody have their favorite site to share?

 

[Aspychata]

So stunning this picture. Snapshot of life and death.

 

[Suzette]

I have been going to Dinousaur National Monument my whole life. It is another spectacular spot to learn about fossils and Dinosaurs!

 

[AGXStarseed]

It was Oct. 13 and I missed it. I enjoy paleontology and the view of deep time that it provides. So for a real treat here is something from a fascinating site, the Ashfall Fossil Beds near Royal Nebraska. It taught me that Nebraska is not flyover country. Here is a view from the Rhino Barn. [edit] An entire rhino herd and associated animals were greviously injured inhaling volcanic ash from an eruption in Idaho 12 million years ago, died, and were entombed. Some with babies resting against them. Does anybody have their favorite site to share?
View attachment 71456

The only one that comes to mind is Auca Mahuevo - a nest site in Patagonia, which (according to the 2011 BBC TV series Planet Dinosaur) was filled to the brim with eggs belonging to Argentinosaurus; a Sauropod dinosaur as long as Diplodocus, but seven times heavier.
There were so many eggs at the Auca Mahuevo nest site, in fact, that the people at the site could barely avoid crushing them underfoot. Furthermore, the embryos inside were so well preserved that it clearly showed that the infant Argentinosaurus already had their teeth - in preparation for a lifetime of eating.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Years ago, our family toured South Dakota and Wyoming. One of the sites that we enjoyed, especially the boys, was The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota. We signed the boys up for a mock paleontology dig with the park ranger. https://www.mammothsite.org/news-events/photo-gallery.html

The other place we went to was the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research. It was free! Awesome displays. It is one of the locations where fossils are processed before distribution to museums worldwide. Black Hills Institute of Geological Research

BHIGR:

 

[Judge]

Love it! Feel like I just had a second birthday.

Amazing fossils in Nebraska. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I have been going to Dinousaur National Monument my whole life. It is another spectacular spot to learn about fossils and Dinosaurs!
View attachment 71457

One of my favorites. I have canoed through the monument from the Gates of Lodore through Split Mountain. A few classic rapids like Disaster Falls, Triplet, and Hells Half Mile. What spectacular scenery!
First pic, Entering Split Mountain. Second pic, my spouse running Disaster Falls.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Years ago, our family toured South Dakota and Wyoming. One of the sites that we enjoyed, especially the boys, was The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota. We signed the boys up for a mock paleontology dig with the park ranger. https://www.mammothsite.org/news-events/photo-gallery.html

The other place we went to was the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research. It was free! Awesome displays. It is one of the locations where fossils are processed before distribution to museums worldwide. Black Hills Institute of Geological Research

BHIGR:

The Mammoth Site is certainly not to be missed.

 

[SusanLR]

I like fossils also, but, no favourite sites to go to here in Florida.
Just do most of my looking at museums.
Back in Missouri, if you could find an abandoned quarry, there were always small fossils in abundance
that I collected.

Someone in an area I used to look in found a nine foot nautilus fossilized in a dry creek bed.
I was envious and wondered why I could never get so lucky.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I've always been fascinated with fossils. My third grade teacher was engaged to a paleontologist, so around the edge of the classroom, we had dinosaur bones, eggs, and coprolites displayed. It was incredible.

I've never been to a real fossil bed, but I always wanted to.

We did a homeschool science unit a few years back that blended geology with biology and paleontology. I went online and ordered lots of little tiny fossils and they came in a box. They weren't impressive at all, but it was neat to have fossilized coral, wood, shark teeth, mollusks, etc, to hold and explore.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I like fossils also, but, no favourite sites to go to here in Florida.
Just do most of my looking at museums.
Back in Missouri, if you could find an abandoned quarry, there were always small fossils in abundance
that I collected.

Someone in an area I used to look in found a nine foot nautilus fossilized in a dry creek bed.
I was envious and wondered why I could never get so lucky.

Have you tried places where the Crystal River formation is exposed? I used to wander the shoreline at the beaches around Venice to find fossil sharks teeth.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I've always been fascinated with fossils. My third grade teacher was engaged to a paleontologist, so around the edge of the classroom, we had dinosaur bones, eggs, and coprolites displayed. It was incredible.

I've never been to a real fossil bed, but I always wanted to.

We did a homeschool science unit a few years back that blended geology with biology and paleontology. I went online and ordered lots of little tiny fossils and they came in a box. They weren't impressive at all, but it was neat to have fossilized coral, wood, shark teeth, mollusks, etc, to hold and explore.

That sounds so enriching. Were I a student in a class like yours, those specimens would have certainly inflamed my imagination. That is why I go on trips and give a lot of material to local schools. You never know who you will influence. At one school I gave them ,among other things, a bunch of Apache tears (globules of obsidian) that I had them polish in a tumbler, and made pendants from them with the children.

 

[SusanLR]

That sounds so enriching. Were I a student in a class like yours, those specimens would have certainly inflamed my imagination. That is why I go on trips and give a lot of material to local schools. You never know who you will influence. At one school I gave them ,among other things, a bunch of Apache tears (globules of obsidian) that I had them polish in a tumbler, and made pendants from them with the children.

I've sifted through the area at Venice a few times and came up empty handed.
But, some have found nice large teeth.
Not long ago, a man snorkled in 9 ft of water there and came up with a HUGE megalodon tooth.
It really made his life long search and made the news here. Looked to be about 10 inches long in the
photo.
I found a small megalodon just outside my back door one morning in the dirt when I lived at the
head of Tampa Bay. Nice size for a necklace so I made it into one.

I'm originally from AZ and there are Apache tears all over the desert around Sedona.
Drops from the great meteorite that fell not far from there.
Rocks in general are my hobby to collect. I even have a few nice sized meteorites.
Tri-coloured calcite is one of my favs and I find the Shiva Lingas from India fascinating.