10/05/2023
Hi! Dr. Anthropology has recently gotten so many photos and questions from people who have found what they believe are fossils or dinosaur eggs or bones—there are so many fossils in the world! However, it is very difficult to be able to figure out what the fossil might be without seeing it in person. And you need someone who knows a lot about your kind of fossil to really identify it. So, your best bet would be to look for a local archaeology group, historical museum, or science museum with a "bring your fossil" day to try to help you figure out what kind of a fossil you have. Also very important is to document where you found the fossil—without that information, there will not be an opportunity to date the fossil because it is the surrounding dirt and materials that would be able to date your fossil. And, many rocks look like they may have a "face" or other interesting looking configuration, but they are just a rock!
Occasionally, someone does find something incredible! But if you do—and you really think it is something significant—leave it in place, contact your local university, museum staff, or archaeology group and let them know what you found. A man in Portugal found a giant dinosaur in his backyard.
And good luck doing the research to find out about your fossil!
During rennovations, the owner of the property in central Portugal noticed the presence of several fragments of fossilized bones in his yard.
