Helpful Hint in Asking for ID

[Patrick Hsieh]

I’ve noticed quite a few people posting pictures believing they have found X and asking for help ID’ing their specimen. Some requests get responses, many do not. My suggestion is for posters to specify, in the comment section or the photo caption, why exactly they believe they have found for example an animal bone, or dinosaur egg or even a fossil at all. This helps identifiers evaluate and identify what the specimen is, and draws their attention to the relevant diagnostic features. The more information that is provided, the better chances that someone will reply with an ID. For those seeking help, there is a huge amount of information on the internet and looking up the diagnostic features of fossils will help in learning how to ID their own specimens in the future or at the least providing relevant information that might be useful for others to ID.

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