kaczosaur Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 While splitting shale and other rock, is there a way to tell if there is a fossil inside somewhere, or should you just randomly split it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palaeopix Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Yep just keep splitting until you find something. If there are fossils in the rock you are splitting you are bound to come up with something sooner or later. I usually check the surrounding talus for signs of fossils before I spend too much time splitting or quarrying. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THobern Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Shale is easier though, as it has a definite bedding planes, meaning that you don't need to decide on an angle to approach it from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glacialerratic Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 You really can't tell. Just start splitting. It helps if you can talk with someone who has hunted where you are going before, and can get some tips on what to look for. At the Paulding Quarry trip this past weekend, Crinus told me to split shale with nothing else in it (other fossils like brachs) for rolled trilobites. He was spot on. If you don't mind hauling rock, I like to bring promising pieces home for further investigation instead of bashing them to pieces on a pile. Getting a promising piece washed up for careful inspection helps. Not to mention you get to extend your fossil hunt for a few more hours. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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