Specimen 68399 – myFOSSIL

Hi. I’m new to this app. I found this in the Delaware river on the Pennsylvania side. I would love to know any info. #fossil

Craig Steele posted a new specimen in the group Paleo Pics from the myFOSSIL app 4 years, 5 months ago

4 years, 5 months ago

4 years, 5 months ago

Craig Steele has contributed a new specimen to myFOSSIL!
- ColeFossilFinder Blitz replied 4 years, 5 months ago
  
  Possibly part of a trilobite or fern
- Jennifer Bauer replied 4 years, 5 months ago
  
  I agree with your assessment @i-edwards! It certainly looks like a trilobite mold. My guess would be Devonian based on the rock & preservation. Maybe @nathan-newell can confirm as he collects in similar rocks. Classification can be Kingdom Animalia > Phylum Arthropoda > Class Trilobita.
- Nathan Newell replied 4 years, 5 months ago
  
  @jbauer @i-edwards I agree, it definitely looks like the back half of a trilobite mold. I’m not so sure about the age, the rocks I’ve collected have looked very different. I tend to find trilobites in freshly-split shale, but the rock here is really weathered. That makes sense if it was found along the river, but it’s interesting that the…[Read more]
- Chloe Geddes replied 4 years ago
  
  Probably a zachanthoidies trilobite

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How do I know my fossil identification is correct?
- 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.

What if I don’t remember where I found my fossil?
- Leave the locations fields blank if you don’t remember the place you found the fossil. It likely will mean that the fossil won’t be included in the research material, but it will still be of interest to others within the FOSSIL community.

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.
- Post in the Ideas for New Forums forum and suggest a new forum for geologic time and/or stratigraphy to get a community discussion going and get input from experts.

How do I get latitude and longitude data?
- There are many ways to get latitude and longitude data while you are at an outcrop or at home.
- 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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