married2rick Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Hopefully that title makes sense. I have been thinking about how one goes about finding potential new sites which produce fossils. I am a member of a local fossil club and have gone to some great sites and have found fossils, maybe not whole trilobites or cephalopods but I've found pieces and at this stage of the game, I couldn't be happier about the little parts and pieces that are the start to my first fossil collection. As I read and learn from so many knowledgeable people in the Fossil ID section of TFF, I am starting to ask more intelligent questions. Hey, you, yes you, I can hear you laughing at me, don't you know it's not nice to laugh at people? (lol) I think I am asking more intelligent questions even though they are still very elementary questions. I'm growing, bear with me here! Back to my question........ What are the questions I should be asking myself when I'm driving somewhere and I see some earth moving going on? I live in a rural area and a new road is being built through a slightly sloped landscape that had just had corn & soybeans harvested from it a few months ago. There is a creek flowing through the field also. Should I take some time on a Sunday when no work is going on to stroll along this very recently excavated, still just a dirt path thru the field location in search of fossils? Or should I be looking for an outcrop or mound of rocks that has been there, undisturbed for as long I can remember? Or should I head to the Susquehanna River which is only 15 minutes from my house and walk the shorelines looking for fossils? Should I stay on the Lancaster County side in Marietta or Columbia PA or should I cross the route 30 bridge to the York County PA side of the Susquehanna and find a place in Wrightsville or Long Level to explore? Are there telltale signs that indicate an area could be rich in fossils? I'm quite happy with where my local club takes me on field trips but nothing is planned for late fall and early spring because the weather is so unpredictable. I would like to take advantage of these fall days by exploring new places but I don't want to become discouraged from not finding anything only to learn I was looking for love fossils in all the wrong places! Thanks in advance for any advice you might be able to share with me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 A simplified answer would be to check out areas that are legally easy for you to access. Cross reference these areas with geologic maps. Read geologic reports to see what fossils occur in what formations you have access to and concentrate on those areas. Hunt slower, and look closer to find things you might otherwise overlook and others may have missed. Learn the characteristics of particular formations and your collection will grow in quality and diversity. 4 The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megaholic Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Do as John says and go as often as you can. Keep a log of what, where and when you find things. It will be a valuable tool for later. Consider that items tumbled in the river may not be as nice as those recently uncovered at a dig site, or exposed by erosion. Small points and tools are still found in fields that have been walked over and over for years. Good luck! MH 2 "A man who asks is a fool for five minutes. A man who never asks is a fool for life". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Learn some geology, and try to figure out what are the better fossil producing layers in your area. That being said, don't overlook the layers that are supposed to be devoid of fossils. If you do finds things in those areas, they will be scientifically more valuable than in the more common areas. Also, when you do find a productive site, hit it hard, as most "hot spots" don't last long. And lastly, when that "hot spot" gets overgrown, or a house is built over it, don't fret, as there is probably a new "hot spot" being exposed somewhere else, so don't stop looking! "Things hoped for have a higher value than things assured." Aldo Leopold Ramo 2 For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. -Aldo Leopold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
married2rick Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 All great advice! I can't wait to put it to good use!! Thank you for taking the time to help me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Things that I have done; Look up your old PA geological surveys, ( I spent a lot of time going through the 1880 through 1910 Ohio surveys, great info, these old timers were very smart and through). Start with your county and than work out from there. Here is a short link to some fossil plates, (Plates are the old drawings by the old professionals that describe fossils and are an invaluable resource for fossil ID's) http://dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/collecting/fossilsintro/fossils/index.htm Google books has a great selection of out of print books. I use the old Geo surveys for Ohio and Indiana. Here is a link to some google books on PA geology. https://www.google.com/search?q=google+books%2C+PA+geological+surveys&rlz=1C1SFXN_enUS498US498&oq=google+books%2C+PA+geological+surveys&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.25738j1j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8 I hope this helps you. Ziggie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
married2rick Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 Thanks Ziggie! I love these Plates! If I could purchase them in print sizes I would take down all the family pics I have hanging on the walls of my home and replace them with these, lol. Okay, maybe not but that's how much I like them, They are so helpful to me when I'm trying to ID some of my fossil finds. Thanks for the google link on books, I am going to check them out next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 (edited) Many of the books you will find on google books will have plates in them that you can print out. If you print them in high quality on your printer, they are not bad. Example: This link goes to plates on sponges by James Hall ( you will get used to his name) https://books.google.com/books?id=D8IyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA404&lpg=PA404&dq=Sponge,+Ectenodictya+Hall,+Calathospongia&source=bl&ots=gTlpXFGEYK&sig=FNlacVMEoTsgYPp1dgzUoqAsRFc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1h4IUueAOe_yyAHdu4FI&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Sponge%2C%20Ectenodictya%20Hall%2C%20Calathospongia&f=false Another link for more ideas of what is out there. https://books.google.com/books?id=40wAZMGcZfUC James Hall has fossils described by species not just areas. His works are some of the main reference works many of us use. Many fossils he describes tell of the location they were found. all valuable info on where to find fossils. I know this is a lot of info, but you have all winter to learn. Hope this helps. Ziggie Edited November 20, 2015 by ZiggieCie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
married2rick Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 A sincere thank you just doesn't seem good enough to express my appreciation for all the support I have received on TFF! Thank you Tim, Ziggie, Ramo, megaholic & JohnJ for helping me on this journey!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Thank you. I think all of us love helping people that want to learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA Fossil Finder Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Also, a note on the Susquehanna river: I live within walking distance of the Susquehanna. I have never found any fossils worth keeping there - only extremely worn brachiopod molds. That said, it always depends on what area of the Susquehanna you hunt in. If it cuts through different formations, it will probably expose different types of fossils. Whereas I only find brachiopods, in a different area you might find something much better, or nothing at all. Maybe you will find something great! You never know. You may want to read and study some of these: Pennsylvania Geological Survey General Geology Reports 1 Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
married2rick Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Love the link PA Fossil Finder!! Thank you, there is cooking, cleaning and wash to do today but it looks like I might be taking occasional breaks to do some reading, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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