Identify a Fossil?

[DJDiggler]

We took the kids to the North Saskatchewan river this weekend to play around and made an interesting discovery! My son was hunting for rocks for me to skip on the water when he noticed the rock he was holding was really weird. I first thought it had some gross worm on it and was going to toss it but closer inspection seems to indicate he found a fossil.

It just so happens we were on our way to the Tyrell Dinosaur museum next weekend so I was wondering if there is anyone to show fossils to there? How do you get one identified (in the Edmonton area)?

He'd be tickled pink to give it to the museum if they allow that sort of thing!
Here are some pics for any palaeontologists out there

[grog]

Interesting. You may want to try this museum: http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/

It's closer to Calgary than Edmonton but the description certainly sounds like the right place:

The Royal Tyrrell Museum is Canada’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the science of palaeontology. In addition to housing one of the world’s largest displays of dinosaurs, the Museum offers a wide variety of creative, fun, and educational programs that bring the prehistoric past to life.

The Museum is operated by the Government of Alberta under the Ministry of Culture.

Maybe try emailing them first. They could probably tell you a lot just from the pictures.

[Jake]

It looks more like a worn vein of quartz.

[jshel101]

Originally Posted by grog

Interesting. You may want to try this museum: http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/

The OP already stated they are going there.

It just so happens we were on our way to the Tyrell Dinosaur museum next weekend

Does the Edmonton Zoo have a Dinosaur section like the Calgary Zoo? If they do, maybe they would have someone there that could identify it. You could also try the Univeristy of Alberta.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Jake

It looks more like a worn vein of quartz.

I agree for the second picture, too shiny for a fossil.

[DJDiggler]

I was thinking a quartz vein also but the structure just looks so biological in person... the small marks you see in the first pic definitely look like small organisms.

The Edmonton zoo is pathetic and doesn't have any dino stuff. I did send a picture to the tyrell museum (they have a found fossil form you can submit), but haven't heard anything yet.

I'll bring it anyway, probably find someone there to show it too. The boy is checking every rock he sees hoping to "find another dinosaur" Hope he's not disapointed.

[Jake]

Do you have a close-up of one of the structures in the first picture?

[DJDiggler]

Thats about as good as my camera can get... not the cameras fault I think, I just don't know how to use the macro feature worth a crap. I sent in some pics to another website in addition to the Tyrell museam one and they posted it!

http://myfossilfind.com/2012/07/02/a...rm-rock-redux/

The editor there seems to think it is a plant of some sort ( A crinoid )

Unfortunately with our hectic 7am departure saturday we forgot the rock! The Tyrell hasn't emailed me back but I'm hoping they will sometime. Really kicking myself for forgetting the damn thing.

[Geco]

+1 for crinoid