The beginning collector is usually content to know if his specimen is a
clam or a snail or a fern or a palm leaf. But as the collection grows,
it becomes increasingly desirable to know the scientific name of each
fossil.
When he starts to identify fossils it may be helpful to show them to a
geology teacher if a college or university is nearby. Most teachers are
glad to be of help and will probably have similar specimens in their own
collections. As all colleges do not have geology departments, a list of
institutions with geologists on their faculties is included at the end
of this section of the handbook (p. 27). In addition, many of the
science teachers in the public schools are familiar with fossils and can
give helpful suggestions as to how to classify material.
Museums are also good places from which to get help. If the museum has a
geological collection, it will be most helpful to compare specimens with
the fossils in their collections and to ask the museum personnel for
advice. In addition to the above sources of information, local
professional geologists are usually familiar with the geology of the
local area and the paleontological literature of the region.
Possibly local librarians can recommend books, encyclopedias, or other
publications that will be of help. Members of a local rock and mineral
club, if one is available, are another source of information. Many times
these collectors can pass along good ideas and tell exactly which books
to consult.
After books or journals describing the fossils of the area have been
located, the collected specimens should be closely compared with any
illustrations that are shown. Each fossil should be examined carefully,
its more characteristic features noted, and it should again be compared
with the illustrations and descriptions in the book. The phylum or class
to which the specimen belongs should be determined first. For example,
the genus and species of a certain fossil may not be known, but it looks
like a snail and accordingly it is named a gastropod (for class
Gastropoda, the snail class), and this is, at least, a start in
determining the scientific name of that particular fossil. The
descriptive material in the text of each reference will usually point
out the more detailed features which will be diagnostic of the genus or
species.
The illustrations and descriptive material in this publication will also
be of considerable help in identification. Many illustrations of the
more common invertebrate fossils have been included, but the publication
was not designed primarily for use in fossil identification. Rather, it
is intended to guide the amateur or student who is interested in fossil
collecting, and to furnish suggestions as to how collecting may be more
effectively pursued.