Fossil ID

Do you think you may have found a fossil? Complete and submit the form below to get an expert opinion! We have an outstanding fossil ID team waiting to provide their thoughts on what it is you may have found.

PLEASE NOTE: The Paleontological Society is a nonprofit membership organization that works to advance the science of paleontology. The Fossil ID service is performed by dedicated volunteers for the purpose of general education. We are NOT able to provide appraisal services or advise on the potential monetary value of fossils or other items, so please do not ask!

To help us identify your find, please upload no more than three pictures of the item taken at different angles and/or sides. Please make sure image file sizes are no larger than 1 MB each; if they are larger, please resize them or they may not upload correctly.

Without knowing where a fossil came from, it can be impossible to fully identify it. Please include as much location information as possible, especially the approximate locality / place it was found (so we can look up formation) and stratigraphy / rock layer (if known). include this information in the “Where Was Your Fossil Found?” field.

In addition to location, we need to know the relative size of the fossil to make an accurate identification. Please submit items with a scale in every photo, such as a scale bar or ruler.

Photograph all items on a neutral background such as a gray or tan background. PLEASE DO NOT USE WHITE OR BLACK BACKGROUNDS as it fools camera meters. 

Submissions without these requirements may experience substantial delays. As a 100% volunteer fossil identification team, we love what we do, and we want to help you get a quick and efficient ID.

We thank you for following these guidelines!

Lee Cone is the President of the Special Friends of the Aurora Fossil Museum and expert on Carolina Fossils. He has found many unique specimens in the Carolinas, including the “Cone Whale” on display at the Mace Brown Museum in Charleston, SC.  He has also spoken at two GSA events and is a big supporter of the FOSSIL Project.

Erich Rose is the current president of the Paleontological Society of Austin. Before moving to Texas in 2005 he was the field guide editor of the New York Paleontological Society (1995-2005). His collection includes material from the Cincinnatian (Upper Ordovician) and Silurian of Ohio, where he originates, into the Paleozoic and Cretaceous of the New York Region and up through the Cretaceous of Texas. He has written numerous articles and field guides over the years and is currently working on the description of a new echinoid from the Lower Cretaceous of Texas. Although not trained in science his career as an industrial designer has been focused on exhibits for museums with a special emphasis on hands on science. “My favorite part of being involved with these paleo societies is the public outreach, exposing people, young and old, to the amazing history of the Earth.”

Roger Farish coauthored The Collector’s Guide to Fossil Sharks and Rays from the Cretaceous of Texas. Past president and 30-year member of the Dallas Paleo Society where I have edited most of their publications including our latest deemed ‘Everything Paleontology’, Guide to Fossil Collecting by the Dallas Paleontological Society where we tried to cover all aspects of our favorite avocation. Recently wrote an article called "Wannabes" that was the result of years of answering our DPS HotLine where people can call in for fossil IDs among other things. Annual visits for 30 years to the Tucson Gem/Mineral/Fossil Exhibition purely as an observer just to see what treasures are coming out of where has created a considerable fossil database. A geophysicist by training.

Michael Smith has been a member of Paleontological Society of Austin and its predecessors for over 30 years, serving variously as President, Show Chair, Editor, Secretary, Web Master, and Treasurer.  He is co-author of a guide to Pleistocene fossils found on the Brazos river.  For many years he has volunteered at the University of Texas at Austin Non-vertebrate Paleontology lab on a variety of projects including mass inventory, cabinet layout and installation, and georeferencing specimens (adding GPS coordinates based on written descriptions of locations). He has also been able to participate in some field work as a volunteer.