I call myself an "Urban Paleontologist." I like to look through the architectural gravel around shops and houses for fossils. Here in the midwest you can find some very nice Paleozoic corals and bryozoans this way. If you soak these in vinegar for a couple of days and then lightly polish them you can come up with some very nice specimens. Answer from richardjb25 on reddit.com
The Australian Museum
australian.museum › learn › australia-over-time › fossils › how-are-fossils-found
How are fossils found and excavated? - The Australian Museum
The best places are river valleys, cliffs and hillsides, and human-made exposures such as quarries and road cuttings. Background research enables scientists to locate and excavate suitable sedimentary rocks.
British Geological Survey
bgs.ac.uk › home › discovering geology › fossils and geological time › fossils
Fossils - British Geological Survey
August 20, 2021 - Fossils are typically found in sedimentary rocks and occasionally some fine-grained, low-grade metamorphic rocks.
Probably a stupid question but how do people find fossils in general?
I call myself an "Urban Paleontologist." I like to look through the architectural gravel around shops and houses for fossils. Here in the midwest you can find some very nice Paleozoic corals and bryozoans this way. If you soak these in vinegar for a couple of days and then lightly polish them you can come up with some very nice specimens. More on reddit.com
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February 24, 2022World map of major dinosaur fossil sites
For people who are interested in this kind of thing, the Paleobiology Database is really useful. For instance, you can search "Dinosauria" and select the Mesozoic era to see a comprehensive map of dinosaur sites and click on them to see exactly which fossils have been found there (however, the information is somewhat detailed and technical). More on reddit.com
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January 27, 2021Most of the world’s dinosaur fossils are found in three places.
It’s not just the lack of flora. It has to do with specific amounts of erosion removing the exact amount of layers needed to get to the good stuff without much digging. More on reddit.com
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December 15, 2022How do people find fossils?
Most amateurs just walk about with there head down and pick up any rock that looks interesting.As I do. More on reddit.com
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August 5, 2021Videos
Finding Dinosaur Fossils In Rock
30:06
Fossil Hunting 101 | Where to Look for Fossils, and How to Find ...
How do we know where to look for dinosaur fossils? | AMNH
01:22
Dinosaur fossils found in Argentina could be from largest creature ...
How are dinosaur fossils discovered and collected? | AMNH
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_fossil_sites
List of fossil sites - Wikipedia
November 8, 2025 - Lagerstätten are indicated by a note () in the noteworthiness column. Fossils may be found either associated with a geological formation or at a single geographic site. Geological formations consist of rock that was deposited during a specific period of time.
U.S. National Park Service
nps.gov › subjects › fossils › about-fossils.htm
About Fossils - Fossils and Paleontology (U.S. National Park Service)
September 16, 2024 - Most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks that formed as sediment accumulated on Earth’s surface. As such, sedimentary rocks are records of ancient environments where organisms lived.
American Museum of Natural History
amnh.org › explore › ology › paleontology › finding-fossils2
Finding Fossils | AMNH
Good places to find fossils are outcrops. An outcrop is a place where old rock is exposed by wind and water erosion and by other people's digging. ... Make sure that you plan to dig in a place where it is okay to collect fossils.
Earth@Home
earthathome.org › here on earth: regional guides to earth science › fossils of the united states
Fossils of the United States — Earth@Home
October 24, 2023 - Explore the fossil record of West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/paleontology › probably a stupid question but how do people find fossils in general?
r/Paleontology on Reddit: Probably a stupid question but how do people find fossils in general?
February 24, 2022 -
What I mean by this is how do palaeontologists/collectors find fossils with intention rather than on accident. Like how do people find larger fossils, is it just a bit of guesswork or is there a more scientific method involved with strokes of luck.
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I call myself an "Urban Paleontologist." I like to look through the architectural gravel around shops and houses for fossils. Here in the midwest you can find some very nice Paleozoic corals and bryozoans this way. If you soak these in vinegar for a couple of days and then lightly polish them you can come up with some very nice specimens.
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From experience I recommend that you access the geological records of the area you are going to visit. Start by understanding which set of rocks are common fossils. Once you know what rocks to look for, look at detailed geological maps to find out which places in your area have rocks that may contain fossils. Finally draw a custom route using the geological map and one of roads / highways. But without a doubt the most effective way to find fossils is to spend time looking at the rocks around you.
U.S. National Park Service
nps.gov › subjects › fossils › where-dinosaurs-roamed-the-u-s.htm
Where Dinosaurs Roamed - Fossils and Paleontology (U.S. National Park Service)
Thirty or more species have been named from 12 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Mongolia, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Institute for Creation Research
icr.org › content › where-are-fossils-found
Where Are Fossils Found? | The Institute for Creation Research
July 1, 2004 - Fossils are typically found in sedimentary rock, almost all of which were originally deposited as sediments by moving water. Subsequent processes hardened them into sedimentary rock, as overlying pressure squeezed the water out and the grains ...
WorldAtlas
worldatlas.com › articles › where-are-the-most-fossils-discovered.html
Where Are The Most Fossils Discovered?
June 18, 2020 - Fossils are typically found in sedimentary rock, which is formed around ancient bodies of water like rivers, swamps or inland seas. Continuous currents of water deposit sediments (small rock minerals) along the banks and on the bottoms of these ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/dinosaurs › world map of major dinosaur fossil sites
r/Dinosaurs on Reddit: World map of major dinosaur fossil sites
January 27, 2021 - I think part of it is that dinosaur bones are found most often in areas of dense bedrock. Not sure how much of that stuff you'll find in the middle of a desert.🏜 Continue this thread ... Most people don't know about Connecticut. ... This is super cool, it'd be neat to see the dots colored by era, so you could see which locations have fossils from the Cretaceous vs Triassic and whatnot.
U.S. National Park Service
nps.gov › subjects › fossils › fossil-parks-list.htm
Fossil Parks—Master List - Fossils and Paleontology (U.S. National Park Service)
Fossils and Paleontology · Last updated: August 5, 2025 ·
Natural History Museum
nhm.ac.uk › discover › how-to-find-fossils-on-the-beach.html
Fossil hunting: How to find fossils on the beach | Natural History Museum
What fossils you’ll find really depends on where you are and how old the rocks are. If you are hunting for dinosaurs, the Isle of Wight is a great place to start, with more of these prehistoric reptiles here than anywhere else in the UK. More than 20 types of dinosaurs have been found on the island so far.
Geological Society of London
geolsoc.org.uk › Plate-Tectonics › Chap1-Pioneers-of-Plate-Tectonics › Alfred-Wegener › Fossil-Evidence-from-the-Southern-Hemisphere.html
Fossil Evidence - Pioneers of Plate Tectonics
One of the most important contributions to the development of plate tectonic theory was Alfred Wegener's 1915 publication of 'The origin of continents and oceans' which outlined his theory of Continental Drift. Wegener supported his argument with five lines of evidence.
Dinosaur World Live
dinosaurworldlive.com › blog › dinosaur-fossils-where-have-the-most-fossils-been-found
DINOSAUR FOSSILS: WHERE HAVE THE MOST FOSSILS BEEN FOUND?
These are all considered fossils. ... Dinosaur fossils have been found on every continent of Earth, including Antarctica but most of the dinosaur fossils and the greatest variety of species have been found high in the deserts and badlands of North America, China and Argentina.
Minnesota DNR
dnr.state.mn.us › education › geology › digging › fossils.html
Fossils - clues to the past | Minnesota DNR
Fossils of all ages can be found throughout Minnesota's gravel pits, beaches and other glacial features. As glaciers slowly crawled south from Canada to cover almost the entire state, they picked up rock containing fossils. As the glaciers retreated north, the rock and debris were left behind ...
Discover Magazine
discovermagazine.com › home › the sciences › what are fossils and where are they found the most?
What Are Fossils and Where Are They Found the Most? | Discover Magazine
December 21, 2023 - Although there are three different types of rocks — igneous rock, metamorphic rock, and sedimentary rock — almost all fossils are found specifically in sedimentary rock, that's because, for fossilization to happen, sediments like organic ...
USGS
usgs.gov › educational-resources › find-a-feature-fossil
Find-A-Feature: Fossil | U.S. Geological Survey
Fossils have been found on every continent of Earth and in every geologic age and are found almost exclusively in sedimentary rocks. Why? Igneous rocks are too hot when they form (plants and animals can't live in lava or magma) and metamorphic ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/dinosaurs › most of the world’s dinosaur fossils are found in three places.
r/Dinosaurs on Reddit: Most of the world’s dinosaur fossils are found in three places.
December 15, 2022 -
Some of the biggest concentrations of fossils, or at least those that are most readily available, are found in the high-altitude badlands of China, Argentina, and North America.The Earth is actually largely covered in fossils, but because there isn't much flora there, they can be discovered readily there!
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It’s not just the lack of flora. It has to do with specific amounts of erosion removing the exact amount of layers needed to get to the good stuff without much digging.
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And Morocco, where apparently you trip over spinosaurus, mosasaur, and carcharodontodaurus teeth when they’re available in bulk quantities.
NHM
nhm.org › your-fossil-discovery
Your Fossil Discovery | Natural History Museum
Typically, the hard parts of an animal, such as its bones, are more likely to be preserved than soft tissues such as skin or hair. Even fossils of bones are still relatively difficult to find. Among the most common fossils found around Los Angeles are the hard parts of marine animals, such ...