Fossil hunters refer to researchers and enthusiasts who combine their interests and careers to excavate and collect paleontological fossils. Mary Anning was the most famous female fossil hunter in England in the 19th century.
Fossil hunter essentials:
It is necessary to have a basic understanding and knowledge of geological and paleontological knowledge; a certain ability to appreciate fossils; volcanic rocks and metamorphic rocks have undergone high temperature and high pressure and cannot preserve fossils, while sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, siltstone, shale, mudstone, and limestone Etc., fossils can be widely preserved. In addition, you must have a pair of eyes that are good at discovering and the drive to explore and research.
Before setting out to find fossils, sufficient preparations must be made. First of all, we must choose the area of field work, understand the basis of the previous work; prepare a geological map, have a full understanding of the stratum distribution and geographical topography of the area to be worked. At the same time, collect information about fossils or fossil origins through the Internet, or learn about fossil sites from locals.
Prepare equipment for field work: geological backpack, geological hammer, magnifying glass, note paper, brush, tape, wrapping paper and collection bag, etc. Also prepare shoes and clothes suitable for field work. Of course, food and water are also essential. If you work in the field for a long time and are far away from the city, you also need to prepare sleeping bags and tents.
When working in the field, be good at finding fossil outcrops. Naturally formed river beds, cliffs and gullies are good places to find fossils. In addition, it is also important to have some field observation experience.
After collecting fossil specimens, necessary processing is usually done to remove unnecessary dust and surrounding rocks. For fossils that are not easily broken, they can be washed with water or brushed with a soft brush, and then used various suitable digging tools, such as chisel and fine needles, for preliminary repair. Tools should be selected according to the size and fragility of the fossil specimen. For fragile specimens, be especially careful and careful. Wrap them with multiple layers of paper and place them in a collection bag. When wrapping the fossils, you need to write clearly the person who collected it, the location of the collection, the latitude and longitude, and the date, etc., and make a preliminary description of the fossil specimen and the relationship with the surrounding rock.
The indoor stage includes identification and description of fossils and special studies. Appraisal description includes a series of procedures such as grinding, repairing, appraisal, photographing, and description. On this basis, a special subject research in a certain subject direction is carried out. In indoor research, there are various advanced physical and chemical facilities to process fossils, and advanced electron microscopes and many other observation and testing instruments are used for fossil research.