Quest 2 - Finding Fossils

Rules to follow

• Observe surroundings (roots, rocks, branches, dangerous animals/plants, slick surfaces)

• Buddy system

• Appropriate clothes & shoes

• Travel & park w/ caution

• Bring safety items

Safety items

• Phone

• First-aid kit (*toilet paper)

• Water & food

• Rain jacket

• Extra layers

• Flashlight (extra batteries)

• Insect repellent

• Sunscreen

• Multi-tool/knife

• Hat (full-brim)

• Bear spray/mace

Environmental issues

• Disturbance of substrate at bottom of aquatic environment

  • Local animals/plants

  • Turbidity/water quality

• Increasing erosion along banks

  • Repeated walking in same areas

  • Removal of rocks/sediment & undercutting

  • Landslides

• Diverting natural flow of water & chemicals from insect repellent

  • Variety of impacts downstream

• Trash

General rules & laws

• Abide by all national, state, or local guidelines

• No removal from national parks/monuments

• Laws are very variable from place to place & can change frequently

• Avoid collecting on private land

Ethical issues

• Harmful acts against other people/the environment

• Fossil might not be there for someone else to find

• Fossil may be damaged during “finding process,” travel, preparation, or storage

Ethical issue - personal collections

• Not used for public display, research, outreach, or education

• Possessing rare vs. common specimens

Ethical issue - selling fossils

• Not used for research, outreach, or education

• Selling rare vs. common specimens

• Incorrect info about location of origin/other misrepresentation

Temporary storage

• Ziplock bags

• Pill bottles

• Food storage containers

Padding

• Bubble wrap

• Paper towels

• Padded envelopes

• Clothes

• Shop towels

Items for getting to fossils

• Small shovels/trowels

• Sifter

• Chisel

• Flat crowbar

• Rock hammer

• Brushes

• Extendable dipper

• Neoprene gloves

• Safety glasses

Other general things to have while collecting

• Safety items

• Waders, tall rubber boots, and/or water shoes

• Items to ID fossils

  • Hand lens/magnifying glass

  • Field guide

Big Brook location

NJ

Big Brook Park:

• Nice little lot

• Longer walk to Big Brook

Hillsdale Rd:

• Riskier - parking on either side of road

• Vehicle safety not guaranteed (but not concerning)

• No bathroom/potable water

Hop Brook (Ramanessin) location

NJ

• Village Elementary School site

  • Nice little lot - Dr. Cooke’s Medical Office

• Should be safe (no guarantees)

• No bathroom/potable water

Hop Brook rules

• No formal rules

• Recommended — follow rules from Big Brook locations

Search strategies (NJ)

Visual search:

• Lines up & down gravel bars

• Spiral in

Sifting:

• Clear water = look for gravel bottom

• Cloudy/muddy water = feel gravel w/ feet

• Rest sifter on log/bank

Items to bring (NJ)

• Safety items

• General collection items

• Sifter & garden trowel, even if you plan to visually search

Site specific hazards (NJ)

• Poison ivy, snakes, ticks, stinging insects

Sharp objects:

• Broken glass is plentiful

• Pieces of metal

Uneven & slippery ground:

• Roots

• Loose rock/gravel at shore & underwater

• Wet mud & stones

• Algae/gunk

Geology, formations, & age (NJ)

• Late Cretaceous

• Navesink formation

  • 66-70 mya

  • ~ 8m thick

  • Eastern part of Cretaceous outcrop belt

• Paleozoic & Pleistocene fossils

Most common fossils (NJ)

1. Goblin shark teeth

2. Crow shark teeth

3. Mackerel shark teeth

Hillsdale Rd:

• Belemnites

• Bivalves (oysters)

• Brachiopods

Fairly common fossils (NJ)

• Sabretooth herring teeth

• Drumfish teeth

• Sawfish rostral teeth

• Snail endocasts/internal molds

• Crustacean molds

• Ratfish jaw sections

• Corals

Uncommon fossils (NJ)

• Mosasaur teeth

• Turtle shell pieces

• Ray crushing teeth/plates

• Angel shark teeth (likely rare - size)

• Shark vertebrae

• Ammonite mold/cast fragments

Rare & very rare fossils (NJ)

• Ice Age mammal bones/teeth

  • Small, misc. pieces of bone may be more common

• Plesiosaur teeth

• Hadrosaur teeth (more common than other dinosaur fossils)

Preserving, conserving, storing, & labeling findings

1. Take notes in field for a temporary label

2. Keep in container/padding

3. Soak in water overnight OR for days

4. Gently scrub w/ soft toothbrush & water then rinse off

5. Dry on paper towels for at least 3 days (longer if larger)

6. Put in collection box w/ padding

Poricy Park location

NJ

• Park at “Poricy Park Fossil Beds”

• Gravel lot

• No bathroom, but there is one at Poricy Park Conservancy (3 min)

Poricy Park rules

• No limit, but still limit yourself

• Look at signs for any updates

Poricy Park fossils

More invertebrates than vertebrates:

• Oysters

• Brachiopods

• Belemnites

• Snails

Montour Preserve Fossil Pit location

PA

• Nice lots on either side of road

• Safety not of concern

• Bathroom w/ running water & potable water

Montour Preserve rules

• Open dawn to dusk year-round

• Free

• Can keep fossils (no limit)

• Non-service dogs NOT allowed

• Can use metal tools

Search strategies (Montour, Swatara, & Penn Dixie)

Visual search:

• Examine broken rock debris

• Straight lines back & forth (facing up incline)

• Work your way up/down

Rock smashing:

• Find larger pieces of already free rock

• Look for places of untouched rock

  • Where water was running

  • Where people dug deeper

• Use rock hammer & flat crowbar to free layers of rock

• Use chisel end of rock hammer (or a chisel) to split rocks

Site specific hazards (Montour, Swatara, & Penn Dixie)

• Incline & loose ground

• Poison ivy, snakes, ticks, stinging insects

Sunburn:

• Very exposed site

Sharp objects:

• Edges of shattered rocks

• Eye hazards

• Rock debris/fragments

• Injury from metal tools

Items to bring (Montour, Swatara, Fossils Cliff, & Penn Dixie)

Safety items:

• Safety glasses

• Leather/work gloves

• Long pants & knee pads

• Hat & sunscreen

Tools to access fossils in rock:

• Rock hammer

• Different sized chisels

• Flat crowbar

Items to see/store fossils:

• Water

• Bucket (multiple gallons)

• Brush

• Padded envelopes

• Bubble wrap

• Towels

Geology, formation, & age (Montour)

• Devonian period

• Mahatango formation

  • ~ 395mya

• Shale & siltstone

Montour Park fossils

Most common - Brachiopods

Least common - Trilobites

Preserving, conserving, storing, & labeling (Montour, Swatara, & Penn Dixie)

• Take notes in field for a temporary label

• Keep in container/padding

• Soak in water overnight/for a few days

• Scrub w/ a soft brush OR bigger brush w/ water & rinse

• Dry for a week or longer; depends on the size of rocks fossils are in

• Not as easy to put into collection box

Swatara State Park: Seudberg Site location

PA

• Site = 15-20 min walk from Swopes Valley Trailhead

• Lost of parking

• Pretty safe

• Bathroom w/o flushing toilets or sink

Swatara rules

• Follow Swatara rules

• Open dawn to dusk year-round

• Free

• Highly advertised to collect fossils (no limit)

Geology, formation, & age (Swatara)

• Middle Devonian period

• Upper Mahatango formation

  • ~ 375mya

• Claystone/shale & siltstone

Swatara fossils

Most common - Brachiopods & bivalves

Rare - Trilobites

Fossils Cliff location

Near Pittsburgh, PA

• Nice little lot by Panhandle Trail & a stream

• Porta Potty & picnic table

• No potable water

• No formal rules, but follow Panhandle Trail rules

Search strategies (Fossils Cliff)

Visual search:

• Examine broken rock debris

• Straight lines back & forth (facing up incline)

• Work your way up/down

Rock smashing:

• Find larger pieces of already free rock

  • Fossils in debris, look at cliff

  • Find some slabs w/ fossils

  • Take some out to split

• Use rock hammer & flat crowbar to free layers of rock

• Use chisel end of rock hammer (or a chisel) to split rocks

Site specific hazards (Fossils Cliff)

• Loose rock falling from above

• Poison ivy, snakes, ticks, stinging insects

• Incline & loose ground

Sunburn:

• Not that exposed

Sharp objects:

• Edges of shattered rocks

• Eye hazards

• Rock debris/fragments

• Injury from metal tools

Fossils Cliff fossils

In fine-grained sandstone/siltstone

Centralia Coal Mine Site location

PA

• Carboniferous plant fossils

Safety & rules:

• Safety not clear w/ mine burning underground

  • RISKY!

• Overgrown, forgotten in areas

• No clear rules about fossil collecting

• Rock face is quite steep & dangerous

Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve location

NY

• Dirt/gravel lot

• Seems safe

• Porta Potty & water from staff

Penn Dixie rules

• Opens seasonally

• 9AM - 4:30PM

• $17 for adults, $16 for students

• Need to take a tour 1st time (15 min)

• Can keep fossils (no limit)

• Non-service dogs NOT allowed

• Can use metal tools

Geology, formation, & age (Penn Dixie)

• Devonian period

• Moscow formation

  • ~ 380-390mya

• Windom shale

Penn Dixie fossils

• Brachiopods

• Bryozoans

• Cephalopods

• Crinoids

• Corals

• Gastropods

• Pelecypods

• Trilobites

Mataoka Beach Cabins location

MD

• Stretch of gravel/dirt spaces off gravel road

• Shortest walk to beach ~ 500ft (down incline for decent part)

• Safety not of concern

• Porta Potty b/t parking & beach access

Mataoka rules

• Open 8AM-8PM year-round

• $10 per person (cash)

• Can keep fossils (no limit)

• No pets

• Can use metal tools

• Can camp there

• If parking full, will not have access to beach

Flag Ponds Nature Park location

MD

• Longer walk to beach ~1 mi

• Safety not of concern

• Bathroom w/ running water by main building & near beach

Flag Ponds rules

~ Memorial Day to Labor Day (closed Tues, Wed, Thurs)

• Mon & Fri 9AM - 4PM

• Sat & Sun 9AM - 6PM

• Beach closes 1hr earlier

• Extended hours begin Memorial Day weekend (by 2hrs)

Fee (for non-county residents):

• $5 (Nov - Mar)

• $15 (Apr - Oct)

Others:

• Can keep fossils (no limit)

• Can use metal tools

• Dogs are allowed w/ a leash

Calvert Cliffs State Park location

MD

• Several spread out lots

• Seems secure

• Longest walk to beach ~ 1.8mi

• Bathroom w/ running water & water fountains

• Porta Potty closer to beach

Calvert Cliffs rules

• Open dawn to dusk year-round

• $7 per vehicle (out-of-state)

• Can keep fossils (no limit)

• Can use metal tools

• Pets allowed

Rules (MD)

• DON’T dig in cliffs

• Walking directly along cliffs is DANGEROUS

• Stay off private property

• Be mindful of signs

Search strategies (MD)

Visual search:

• Walk along edge of water

  • Look in water along shore & where there’s wave action

• Examine high tide & low tide “deposit lines”

• Look under/around objects

• LOW TIDE BEST! (& after storms)

You can sift:

• Not recommended

• More helpful at small beaches w/ lots of foot traffic

Site specific hazards (MD)

Flora & fauna:

• Stinging/biting insects

• Not a big concern: poison ivy, snakes, ticks (might encounter on way to & from beach)

Sharp objects:

• Glass & pieces of metal are found frequently

Cliff wall erosion (Mataoka):

• Debris may fall in small amounts & get into eyes

• Chunk of wall may collapse on you

Sunburn:

• Can be exposed depending on time of day

Tide changes:

• Not a big concern: limited difference b/t high & low tide

• May “trap” you unless willing to swim/wade (concern in colder months)

Items to bring (MD)

Safety items:

• Water, food, & flashlight (usually walking for miles)

• Hat & sunscreen

Accessing fossils easier:

• Extendable dipper

• Screwdriver

• Sifter

• Small shovel

• Waders

Storage & padding:

• Pint/quart size containers

• Pill bottles

• Padded envelopes

• Bubble wrap

• Towels

• Waterproof backpack

Geology, formation, & age (MD)

• Miocene period

• 3 formations going N-S

  • Calvert

  • Choptank

  • St. Mary’s

• Spanning ~ 20-6mya

Fossils (MD)

Invertebrates:

• Mollusks (cockle clam)

• Echinoderms

• Bryozoans

• Hydrozoans

• Corals

Vertebrates:

• Shark teeth (Megalodon, white shark)

• Crocodile teeth & scoots

• Whale bones (whale vertebra)

• Turtle remains

Marine mammal bones & endangered species (sea turtles)

• DON’T pick up extant (still living) marine mammal bones/other parts

• DON’T pick up parts/pieces of endangered species like sea turtles

Preserving, conserving, storing, & labeling (MD, Green Mill, Aurora, Edisto, & FL locations)

• Take notes in field for a temporary label

• Keep in container/padding

• Soak in water overnight/for a few days

• Scrub w/ a soft brush OR bigger brush w/ water & rinse

• Dry for ~ 3 days for smaller things

  • Week/longer for big things, especially if matrix present

• May need to adapt container to fit specimens

Economic value of Calvert Cliffs locations

• People come from all over the country & world

  • Revenue to local businesses (hotels, restaurants)

  • Equipment is bought

• Guided tours

• Some people rent watercrafts

• All 3 public access sites require a fee

Green Mills Run location

NC

• Nice lots at Elm Street Park

• Safety of no concern

• Bathroom w/ running water

Green Mills rules

• No clear rules

• Best to adhere to dusk to dawn

• Don’t dig in banks

• Use small shovel, rather than full-sized ( in case)

• Pets allowed on Green Mill Run Greenway (along creek)

Search strategies (Green Mill)

Sifting (ideal):

• Scoop out depressions in matrix w/ gloved hand or shovel

• Use shovel in gravel areas

• ½” & ¼” grid (can do separate or stack)

Visual search:

• Not many exposed gravel areas

• Do spiral in or straight lines

• Examine gravel in shallows

Site specific hazards (Green Mill)

Flora & fauna:

• Poison ivy, stinging/biting insects, snakes, & ticks

Sharp objects:

• Glass, pieces of metal, & shell fragments (very plentiful)

• Lots of trash

Sunburn:

• Not an issue

Rapid water after/during rain:

• DANGEROUS!

Items to bring (Green Mill)

Safety:

• First aid kit

Accessing fossils easier:

• Sifters

• Small shovel

• Waders

• Neoprene gloves

Storage & padding:

• Pint/quart size containers

• Pill bottles

• Padded envelopes

• Bubble wrap

• Towels

• Waterproof backpack

Geology, formation, & age (Green Mill)

• Late Cretaceous to Pleistocene

Formations:

• Peedee/Black Creek (Cretaceous)

• Yorktown (Pliocene)

• James City (Pleistocene)

Green Mill fossils

• Often worn/fragmented (w/ regard to shark teeth)

Slide pics:

• Oyster shells

• Scallops

• Great White shark tooth

• Part of a whale ear bone

• Skull cap of bony fish

• Belemnites

• Cetacean bones

Aurora Fossil Museum location

NC

• Small gravel lot

• Bathroom w/ running water & fountains

Aurora rules

Wed - Sun

• 10AM - 4PM (may change seasonally)

• No fee

• No bulk amount of fossils

  • Limit to quart size container

• No collecting for profit

• Photos/vids may be taken of you

• No drugs, alcohol, or profanity

Search strategies (Aurora)

Sifting:

• Sifter grid size ¼” max

• Dimensions 1’ by 1’

• Shovel max length 3’

Visual search:

• Spiral/straight line

“Pit smoothing method”:

• Dig a hole

• W/ a gloved hand, scrap a small amount from bottom up one area of the pit

• In all directions & work deeper

  • Exam wall after each handful

Site specific hazards (Aurora)

• Not many (gravel in shoes)

• Stinging/biting insects

• Sunburn: very exposed

Items to bring (Aurora)

Safety:

• Water, hat, & sunscreen

Accessing fossils easier:

• Sifter

• Small shovel

• Leather gloves

• Knee pads

Storage & padding:

• Pint/quart size containers

• Pill bottles

• Padded envelopes

• Bubble wrap

• Towels

• Backpack OR bucket for your items

Geology, formation, & age (Aurora)

At the museum:

• From Pleistocene to Miocene

Aurora Phosphate Mine:

• Will dig down to ~ 170ft deep to Miocene strata

  • Pungo River formation & Yorktown formation of Pliocene are fossil rich

• Tailings - sediment left over from separating out phosphate

Aurora fossils

Slide pics:

• Lots of shark teeth (Mako, white, snaggletooth)

• Ray crushing plate fragments

• Vertebrae from cetaceans

• Coral

• Jaw section from Ganges river dolphin

• Earbone from dolphin

• Bryozoans

Holden Beach location

NC

• Multiple parking spots

  • $20 a day (park near pier)

• Porta Potty (cold months) & other facilities (warm months)

• Shower

Holden Beach fossils

• Some shells are not fossils

• Cretaceous to Pleistocene may be found

• Cassidyloids, oysters, coral, crab claw (?)

Holden Beach future

• 2022 beach restoration — dumped material from other locations

• May find less & less fossils over the years

Edisto Beach location

SC

• Park at Edisto Island Beach Welcome Center

• Nice lots & pretty close to beach

• Bathroom w/ running water & showers

Edisto rules

• $8 - adult

• 7AM - 6PM (non-daylight savings)

• 7AM - 8PM (daylight savings)

• Leave by 6PM!

• Pets allowed w/ a leash

• Get a “Hobby license”

Search strategies (Edisto)

Visual search (and sifting):

• Walk along edge of water (along shore & wave action)

• High & low tide “deposit lines”

• Look at cracks (more gravel)

• LOW TIDE BEST!

Site specific hazards (Edisto)

Flora & fauna:

• Stinging/biting insects

Sharp objects:

• Glass & pieces of metal

Sunburn:

• Very exposed

Tide changes:

• Just don’t cross river at low tide

Items to bring (Edisto)

Safety:

• Water, hat, & sunscreen

Accessing fossils easier:

• Extendable dipper

• Sifter

• Small shovel

• Scuba diving booties

Storage & padding:

• Pint/quart size containers

• Pill bottles

• Padded envelopes

• Bubble wrap

• Towels

• Waterproof backpack

Geology, formation, & age (Edisto)

• Pleistocene deposits

• W/ reworked fossils from Wisconsinan glaciation

  • ~ 75,000 - 11,000ya

Edisto fossils

Slide pics:

• Burfish jaw

• Part of a horse

• Turtle remains

• Sea robin skull cap

Peace River location

FL

• Nice lots near visitor center & by bathrooms/playground

• Sandy/dirt lot by canoe launch

• Bathrooms w/ running water & fountain

Multiple public access areas:

• Boat ramps & parks

• Follow rules

• Probably high picked over

Peace River rules

• Fossil collecting permit

• $3 per vehicle

• Open 8AM to sunset year-round

• DON’T dig in banks

• Pets allowed w/ a leash

Search strategies (Peace)

• Mar-May best time (Nov-Feb good)

• Water level LOWER than normal ( >/= ~1ft)

Sifting:

• Find gravel areas (near bends in river)

• Deeper areas = Full-sized shovel & floating sifter

• Shallower areas = Small-sized shovel & sinking sifter

Visual search:

• Snorkeling/diving (sunny)

• Canoes/kayaks; fossil tours

Site specific hazards (Peace)

• ALLIGATORS!!!

• Stinging/biting insects

• Snakes & probably poison ivy

Sharp objects:

• Glass & other trash in river

Sunburn:

• Can be exposed

River current:

• During/after rain

• Flooding

Items to bring (Peace, Manasota, & Venice)

Safety:

• Life vest

• Water, hat, & sunscreen

Accessing fossils easier:

• Extendable dipper

• Sifter

• Small & large shovels

• Scuba diving booties/waders

Storage & padding:

• Pint/quart size containers

• Pill bottles

• Padded envelopes

• Bubble wrap

• Towels

• Waterproof backpack

Geology, formation, & age (Peace)

• Miocene to Pleistocene

  • ~ 16mya - 10,000ya

• Most vertebrates: late Miocene & late Pleistocene

• Peace River formation

Peace River fossils

Lower river fauna:

• Dugong rib

• Shark teeth: Tiger, Megalodon, & Snaggletooth

Upper river fauna:

• Turtle remains

• Ice Age mammal humerus

• Mammal tooth

• Glyptodont scoot (giant armadillo creature)

Others:

• Sea urchin spine

• Bivalve impressions, snail internal casts

Manasota Key Beach location

FL

• Bathroom w/ running water, fountain, & showers

• FREE parking

  • Unpaved, big, & pretty close to beach

• Closed 10PM - 6AM

• No pets

• No glass containers

• No taking shell creatures

• No camping/campfires

Search strategies (Manasota & Venice)

Visual search (and sifting):

• Edge of water (wave action)

• High/low tide “deposit lines”

• Low tide & after storms BEST

Sifting:

• Focus on areas w/ gravel & shell debris

Site specific hazards (Manasota & Venice)

Mostly just sun exposure; stinging/biting insects

Geology, formation, & age (Manasota)

• Miocene to Early Pliocene

• ~ 23 - 5mya

• Hawthorn Group, Peace River formation, & Bone Valley member

Manasota fossils

Quite worn/sand-smoothed here.

• Turtle remains

• Shark teeth

• Snail casts

• Ray crushing plate fragments

Venice Beach location

FL

• Paved lot (gets full fast)

• Bathroom w/ running water, fountain, & shower

Venice rules

• FREE parking

• No time limit

• No pets

• No smoking/alcohol

• No taking shell creatures

• No camping/campfires