{"id":1149,"date":"2015-09-21T02:10:51","date_gmt":"2015-09-21T09:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/?p=1149"},"modified":"2015-09-25T12:24:32","modified_gmt":"2015-09-25T19:24:32","slug":"fossil-hunting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/featured\/fossil-hunting\/","title":{"rendered":"Fossil Hunting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Fossil<\/p>\n

When I was a kid I loved to find unusual things wherever I explored. \u00a0I think I found my first fossil near\u00a0Wyalusing State Park \u00a0at the\u00a0confluence\u00a0of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers in the southwest corner of Wisconsin. \u00a0It was a rock with many snails and other small water creatures peeking out. \u00a0Most interestingly, I found it far above the rivers a long way from where similar\u00a0critters now live. \u00a0Later I discovered other types of fossils that had been collected around Castle Rock Lake in central Wisconsin and deposited at\u00a0\u00a0the nature tent at Boy Scout Camp.<\/p>\n

The idea of finding remnants of ancient animals, learning how they got where I found them and understanding how\u00a0they provide evidence of changes over geologic time intrigued me then and still does now. \u00a0If fossil hunting intrigues you, \u00a0you can set out with fossils in mind as you explore the countryside.<\/p>\n

Finding Fossils<\/h1>\n

Fossils occur in few\u00a0places, so it helps to know where to look. \u00a0The first trick to fossil hunting is to be looking for them whenever you are tramping around the outdoors. \u00a0My most recent fossils were discovered during lunchtime walks around the Oregon Institute of Technology Campus above Klamath Lake in South-central Oregon. \u00a0A path we often took was littered with small<\/p>\n

\"My

My Fossil Fish
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round rocks\u00a0that, upon closer examination, were snail fossils mostly less than a half inch in diameter (photo below). \u00a0Further exploration revealed that these fossil snails were in a narrow band at a constant elevation across the area – probably an ancient shoreline. \u00a0Another part of our walk passed a road fill made of rock. \u00a0One day, explorer that I am, \u00a0I decided to walk among the rocks to see what I could see. \u00a0There I found a seven-pound rock with the backbone and fins of a large fish embedded in it. \u00a0These fossils were\u00a0formed from animals that swam in Klamath Lake when it had beaches almost 200 feet above where the water level is now.<\/p>\n

\"Fossil

Fossil Snails
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Generally the places to look for fossils are exposed rock beds, like road cuts (or rocks in road fills), and disturbed ground without any vegetation, like in the middle of the trail you are walking on. \u00a0Quarries, in some places, also expose fossils. \u00a0You may be able to find fossils on\u00a0or adjacent to ocean beaches as fossil-bearing strata are sometimes exposed.<\/p>\n

Special Places for Fossil Hunters<\/h1>\n

Some recreation planners recognize fossil hunting as a great way to explore and have provided a number of public parks that cater to fossil hunters. \u00a0Among them are:<\/p>\n