Fossil hunting can be facinating. It can also be very frustrating when you can not find anything. You can look for fossils near any cliff or area where sedementary rock is exposed, searching among the debris where rock has been broken away. But you must be very carefull. You don't want to get burried under a rock fall while you are poking around.
Here are some simple rules to help you find fossils:
- Look for irregularities in the rock. a color change or an unusually regular pattern may indicate a fossil.
- Do not expect to see a dinusaur sticking out of the rock! You are far more likely to find shells that look much the same like modern seashells.
- Soft shale is a likely place to look for fossils. This is gray flaky material that can be easily be split into sheets, and often contains fossils such as leaves and twigs.
- If you find something that looks unusual and you think it might be an exceptional find, make sure that you can remember exactly where you found it. report your find to a local museum, which may want to excavate to see if there are any more remains.
- Don't try and chip the rock away from any fossil you find. This is a very skilled job that requires specialist tools and knowledge.
- When you do find a fossil, just reflect on its age. Remember that its survival and discovery are a huge coincidence, because millions and millions of its fellow organisms disappeared without trace. Every fossil is an irreplaceable piece of ancient history.
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