ID-0012 · Fossil Identification
Identify Any Fossil
Ammonites, shells, imprints, petrified wood, and more — snap your find and learn what it once was.
About fossil identification
Spotter identifies fossils from a photo — fossilized shells, plant imprints, bones, coral, and petrified wood. Fossils record preservation rather than a single organism, so Spotter helps you understand both what you found and the creature or plant it came from.
Each result includes the likely identification and context on its age and formation. It is the same app that handles the rocks, minerals, and living nature you find on the same outing.
For a better identification
- Photograph the fossil in good light, filling the frame with the detail.
- Include something for scale when the size is not obvious.
- Note the type of rock it is embedded in and where you found it.
- A clean, dust-free surface gives a clearer identification.
Field guides
- 6 speciesHow to Identify Common Rocks and Minerals
- 6 speciesRocks and Minerals of Arizona: Identification Guide
- 6 speciesRocks and Minerals of Colorado: Identification Guide
- 6 speciesRocks and Minerals of California: Identification Guide
- 6 speciesRocks and Minerals of North Carolina: Identification Guide
- 6 speciesRocks and Minerals of Michigan: Identification Guide
Field Notes
- How to Identify a Petoskey Stone (Michigan Fossil Coral)
- How to Identify Diorite (and Tell It From Granite)
- How to Identify Shark Teeth on the Beach
- How to Identify Gneiss (the Banded Metamorphic Rock)
- How to Identify Petrified Wood (Real vs. Fake)
- How to Identify Limestone (and Tell It From Other Rocks)
More: Fossils, Rocks & Minerals
How Spotter compares
Fossil: name it from a photo
Free to download. You get the name, field marks, look-alikes, habitat and safety notes on your phone.
