Specimen 52159 – myFOSSIL

Nathan Newell posted a new specimen. 6 years, 3 months ago

6 years, 3 months ago

6 years, 3 months ago

Nathan Newell has contributed specimen mFeM 52159 to myFOSSIL!
- Jennifer Bauer replied 4 years, 1 month ago
  
  Hi, @nathan-newell – are you sure this is a brachiopod? My instinct screams bivalve but it’s so fragmentary I hate to say one way or another. I feel like this is déjà vu, have we discussed this before?
  - Nathan Newell replied 4 years, 1 month ago
    
    @jbauer Hi, Jen! Yeah, I think we did talk about this before when this specimen was listed under “Fossils”; I guess our discussion didn’t get ported over when it was migrated into “Specimens”.
    
    Anyway, I listed it as a brachiopod because there were so many at the site that I figured if I got a shelled something-or-other, chances are pretty good…[Read more]
    - Jennifer Bauer replied 4 years, 1 month ago
      
      Phew! I thought it was the same specimen too – you must be right – the migration maybe lost some of our previous discussion.
      Happy to help!

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- If you are concerned, it is a good idea to post an image in the forum “What is it? And more experienced collectors and professionals can examine the specimen and help you with your identification. You can also look through some online resources. For invertebrate fossils the Digital Atlas of Ancient Life has several projects from different time periods across the continental United States with pictures to help guide you through finding fossil species.
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Why do we need to include phylum, class, order, family, if the species is the important part?
- The Linnaean classification system is used to aid in communication about different groups of life on Earth. There are several organizations such as the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature that provide guidelines for the usage or complications with the naming of animals. Similarly, there is a different organization that has guidelines and rules for the naming of plant life.

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How do I go figuring out the age and name of the rock I was collecting in?
- A starting place would be to ask the group or organization that you went collecting with for information on the outcrop you visited. There are also several apps for your mobile phone or other devices that can help you better estimate where you are in geologic time. Mancos costs $2.99 through the Apple Store and provides you with data on your location including geologic age, the rock formation, description of the rock, what units are above and below, and what sort of fossils you should expect to find in the rock. Rockd is free and available in the Apple Store and on Google Play. Similarly, Rockd tells you where are with latitude and longitude data, elevation, what age, what the rock type is, what rock unit you are on, and the functionality continues. You are able to check in at outcrops, use a compass, examine ancient continent arrangements, and learn about different rock forming minerals within the app.
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How do I get latitude and longitude data?
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- On Apple devices, you can go to the Compass app (comes pre-downloaded on your device) and it has your latitude/longitude and elevation information
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What is the difference between a group, formation, and member?
- Similar to Linnaean classification, there is a hierarchical structure to rocks. A member is a distinct part of a formation. A formation can be made up of many members. Formations form the primary basis of subdivisions of a sequence and can vary in thickness (centimeters to kilometers). A group is several formations that share similar features or characteristics in the rocks they bear.
- Click here for more information from the British Geological Survey.

What tags are useful for my specimen?
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I’m concerned my specimen is not research grade material, does that matter?
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