How to Find Fossils in North Texas near Dallas/Ft. Worth

Posted Mar 05, 2009 by Shatoma / comments 3 comments / Print / Font Size Decrease font size Increase font size

Collecting fossils in any part of Texas is relatively easy, and only costs the gas you need to get to different places. It's a great hobby for adult and children alike.

You can find some kind of fossil within 20 minutes in Texas. You just have to try different areas. I am giving you information on the Dallas/Ft Worth, North Texas area.

West Fort Worth has abundant ammonites, heart-shaped sea urchins and other invertebrates, as well as NE Texas and the border of Oklahoma/Texas at the Red River. The Arlington, and Grapevine/Colleyville area is pretty sparse for fossils. However, there have been some fossils found of dinosaur, crocodile and ammonites. The Grand Prairie and Irving areas are good for collecting shark and fish teeth, vertebrae, and ammonites.
It is best to try in early spring or fall, and especially after rains, and even when it has not rained, and there is a lot of erosion.

The Eagle Ford Shale Formation produces ammonites with the original "mother of pearl." These beds, well exposed in cuts along the Dallas-Fort Worth highway at the western edge of the town, (see map) and have a thickness of one foot. They consist of gray to brownish, limestone containing considerable clay, silt and fine sand. In this area are numerous fossils including small ammonites, pelecypods, fish teeth [Ptychodus], and worm tubes or castings. There are also many shell fragments.
Any open bit of soil is a potential site. Try creeks and the slopes of hills were there is no vegetation for potential collecting sites.
If you don't find here, make sure to go to other cuts in roads and highways and check it out.

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Comments

eliptica
eliptica said... on March 13th, 2009 at 1:53 AM
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That is so neat. I used to live in that area. Too bad I did not know they had fossiles. Thanks for the article.

tachic
tachic said... on March 12th, 2009 at 8:28 PM
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This was fun when I lived out that way!

MJPatrick
MJPatrick said... on March 10th, 2009 at 7:56 AM
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Nice post Shatoma!



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