The first step in identifying local fossils is to learn about the local geology. State geological surveys can provide background and specific area data, and a comprehensive list of surveys can be found through the Association of American State Geologists. Many surveys have published histories and geological maps available online or for purchase to help determine if a location is conducive to fossil preservation and what types of fossils are predominant.
Fossils are found in sedimentary rock strata such as limestone and shale, and can be of a variety of types: body fossils such as bone, teeth or shells; molds, such as the imprint of a shell; and trace fossils like burrows and footprints. Other, more specialized types of preservation may also be observed, such as replacement (the process which creates “petrified wood”) and carbonization.
Fossil Identification - Resources
Formulating a taxonomic classification is as much work as digging up a fossil. Identifying the kingdom, phylum, class, order, and even family can usually be easily accomplished and there are several helpful guides available, which include full-color photographs and simple navigation systems.
- Walker, Cyril and Ward, David, eds.; Fossils: A visual guide to more than species of fossils from around the world . Dorling Kindersley, Inc., 1992.
- Parker, Steve; An Illustrated Guide to the Fossils of the World; Southwater, 2009.
- Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Museum Collection Records.
Problematic Fossils
However, it is the more detailed classifications that sometimes stump the amateur paleontologist, who has limited resources at his or her disposal. After consulting field guides and searching the web, a troublesome fossil can be taken to a local institution, museum, or university geology department.
“I ask that amateurs be selective in what they send to professional paleontologists, by first using references and exhibits to identify their fossils,” says Dave Bohaska, a collections manager in the paleobiology department at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. “Experienced collectors often get a sense of what is unusual, and what is identifiable.”
Many paleontologists and geologists also belong to local geology clubs and “are on hand to help with ID’s,” says Daryl Serafin of the Maryland Geological Society, a “club” made up of mostly amateur paleontologists and “rock-hounds,” plus a few local professionals. “Folks from all over email us pictures of fossils, and they also bring them to our club meetings to get help with identification,” Serafin says.
Amateur Paleontologists Needed
Amateur paleontologists can be very helpful to professional researchers, especially if they have been collecting for a significant period of time in the same location. “The contacts we make among amateurs have been an excellent source of fossils for the collection,” says Bohaska regarding the Smithsonian’s immense collection of fossils from around the world, “and they often act as our guides visiting sites.”
Indeed, “The amateur living near a locality and searching for fossils there regularly, is more likely to find something than a paleontologist during a short expedition.” Bohaska says. “One family brought in a skull of a fossil shark toothed dolphin from Virginia, a new species we suspected since 1923 but had never gotten good enough material to name.”
Although millions of fossils have been found and named, they only represent a tiny drop in a strange and diverse bucket of life that occupied the planet for the 615 million years before humans. There are many opportunities for amateur paleontologists to find new and interesting fossil specimens. “Several members have made major discoveries,” Serafin says of his local amateur colleagues, “and have even had specimens named in their honor.”
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