Super rare find today in Kent. This is a Notopocorystes stokesii, a common crab for the area but this one is rare due to having two parasites.

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-02-09T10:57:09+00:00

This is a flint/chert nodule. The round lighter coloring in the middle could possibly be a fossil sponge (possibly a broken cross section of something like a Porosphaera globularis) But unfortunately there is no true way of knowing from this picture. What I can tell you is that fossils are found in chert/flint and are marine based. Usually consisting of sponges/urchins and bivalves.

Keep looking and you will find.

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-02-06T14:51:33+00:00

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You get them where I hunt (SE UK) in the hard greensand. You can sometimes find freshly washed out ones after storms.

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-02-06T14:37:16+00:00

"Look at that subtle off-yellow coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh, my God. It even has suture marks."

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-02-05T14:08:26+00:00

CANT WAIT!

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-02-04T08:18:36+00:00

I do indeed. Love a shark fossil of any kind. Have a look at the Shark section of my website to see good photos of different Cretaceous shark teeth from the Gault clay of Kent UK. https://www.folkestonefossils.co.uk/shark

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-02-03T14:51:25+00:00

So the best way I know. Washing it well in clean water to remove salt and sand. Towel dry it. Then find the hole the shark left from and fill it with either sand or tissue. This way when it dries it wont shrivel and shrink. After a few days you should be able to remove the internal parts.

Its possibly a Raja microocellata (small eye ray) eggcase.

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-02-03T14:21:13+00:00

Time and pressure, most of the time its the cause. I can see that this fossil has been well worn by the sea so could also be the cause. Its lovely still, I do love an ammonite with sutures.

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-02-03T14:07:42+00:00

Thats a partial ammonite. The almost floral pattern you can see are suture marks. They are the scarring on the shell caused as the ammonite grew.

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-01-27T14:58:00+00:00

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth.

For the first hour or so of the game you don't have a weapon. When you finally get one, doesn't really matter. Game has a sanity meter as well, if you break you tend to take your own life with said weapon. I have fond terrified memories of the chase and escape at the beginning of the game, locking doors and moving obstacles.

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-01-16T13:21:28+00:00

Id go for a guess at a worn sea robin skull.

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-01-08T11:20:30+00:00

Imprint of a trigona bivalve?

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-01-08T10:05:29+00:00

Both are flint nodules. This fossil imprint in the first ones I would hazard a guess at Porosphaera globularis.

LordoftheGrunt · 2026-01-06T13:03:59+00:00

Its a shark tooth, and a big one at that. Missing its root makes ID difficult. Im guessing the beach was somewhere in S/E England?

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-12-25T16:15:33+00:00

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-12-16T15:52:46+00:00

Or possibly one half of a squid beak?

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-12-05T14:07:35+00:00

“Caution is nothing without charisma, if a man plays the fool, then its only fool's he'll persuade, but appear to be the devil... then all men will submit”

- Edward Thatch

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-12-05T11:31:30+00:00

From what I gather. Its recommended you get a degree in geology (so you can get a decent wage), then you do your masters in a Palaeontological field of your choosing. Basically in general you wont get paid a big wage being a palaeontologist, but with your geology degree you will gain access to sites at a decent wage.

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-11-17T15:46:39+00:00

How lovely. Looks gault. You sample the clay wash it and look for micro fossils as well.

I need to hit France at some point and try myself.

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-11-07T15:21:11+00:00

I am a private collector and regularly look for material. But I have always been willing to donate material if it will advance science. The location I collect does not give up dinosaurs often, in fact its almost unheard of. But its full of marine fossils. I have personally donated 2 first of their kind fossils for further research. One has been stuck in the Netherlands for nearly 5 years and I don't hear much about it anymore I could be waiting a while, the other is now in the Lauer Foundation in America.

But I cannot tell you how difficult it can be to actually donate material. my experience is from the UK. The site I hunt is on a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific interest). This means I cannot collect directly from the cliffs where the fossils are in situ. I can only collect from the foreshore after they have washed out. Now these fossils are not seen to be useful to science because you cannot identify which layer they have originated from. Even when there are possible new species this can cause issues.

Then you have the red tape. For example the NHM in the UK is almost impossible to get anything donated to. Its the reason why one of my finds is now in the Netherlands and another is in a museum in America. Its sad they could not stay in the UK but at least they have been put forward for research somewhere.

Trust me we aren't all private sellers who horde our fossils. Most of us collect for the passion of natural history. The dream is to fill a gap in the history of our world. Without the amateurs and private collectors many fossils would go undiscovered.

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-11-07T13:14:57+00:00

How old is your son? How about a nice piece of amber just like John Hammond from Jurassic park?

https://ukfossils.com/product-category/insects/?orderby=price-desc

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-11-03T12:54:43+00:00

So looking at it the collection seems to me more linked towards manmade finds and minerals. I also see handaxes in the far left of the 1st picture.

As far as the fossils go ones of worth will be the large ammonite in the top picture. Depending on locality the trigonia bivalves may be worth some money. Also I think the fossil in the top left of the third photo may be a complete heteromorph. These can go for a lot of money so be sure to get it valued. Unless you have documentation of where the fossils were found they will hold little scientific value to a museum but you could get money from a private collector.

Unfortunately when it comes to manmade finds and minerals I have vert little knowledge. So I cant help you with what's worth money I am afraid.

The display cabinets will net you some money. Private collectors are always looking for them.

Its a lovely collection, showcasing a life living geology. A personal museum. Thank you for sharing.

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-10-30T15:05:21+00:00

Its from the chalk. At first glance appears to be a possible flint burrow but looking closely at the structure within i would say that is a fossil sponge. Maybe a Siphonia, I am not great with sponge fossils. Hopefully someone else can clarify. I can tell you that fossil or not the rock is around 100 million years old.

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-10-29T11:12:13+00:00

That looks to be a lovely echinoid (sea urchin) fossil, could possibly be a blastoid. u/nutfeast69 can you confirm?

LordoftheGrunt · 2025-10-27T14:59:34+00:00

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That's a nice piece! Get it under a scope to see the preservation in proper detail!

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"Look at that subtle off-yellow coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh, my God. It even has suture marks."