Lance L. Hall
Fort Worth, TX.
Welcome to my website documenting some of the paleontological fauna of the North-central Texas region. Here you will find pictures of fossils mostly collected by myself with a few from others. I am currently accepting good quality photographs of fossils not already on the website. If you see an ID that is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. Some IDs are very general because of lack of time for in-depth researching. I can't give out specific hunting sites because I get asked frequently. This website is an educational, non-commercial project. I don't buy, sell or trade fossils. Enjoy!
I would like to thank photo contributors Roz M, Brad C, Barry A, Mike O, Tera S, Wes K, Kerry K, W Knight, Frank H, Roger F, Ted L, Adam A, Robert R, and Sterling Z.
Texas:
The surface geology of the North Texas region is mainly limestone, shale, clay and sandstone that was deposited during the middle portion of the Cretaceous Period (110-90 million years ago locally). During most of the Cretaceous Texas was covered with a shallow to moderate depth sea that extended at times from Canada to the Gulf so the fossils will be of marine animals and plant life. There WERE brief periods when the sea level was low enough that dry land was exposed and the dinosaurs roamed. Areas to the west are "Pennsylvanian" age (300 mya) and "Permian" age (280 mya) further west.
Click for examples of the rock types.
Recent best finds or additions:
7 Sep 2024 - A decent Oxytropidoceras sp. ammonite and Lopha sp. oyster form the upper Goodland Formation.
3 Sep 2024 - Added some of Bradley Carter's named species and special finds to the dinosaur and fish pages. [larger image on those pages]
Acrocanthosaurus sp. dinosaur tooth, Bardackichthys carteri (fish), Mawsonia sp. (Coelacanth), Ceratodus carteri (lungfish)
4 June 2023 - Ptychodus tooth, ammonites, baculites [Click for more]
26 March 2023 - Fossil plants from Oklahoma (DPS fieldtrip) [Click for all photos]
5 March 2023 - A fossil pearl from the Eagle Ford Group (Kamp Ranch member).
12 Feb 2023 - Paleozoic treasures from Jack County, Texas.
[Click for more]
27 June 2022 - A cache of Ptychodus shark teeth and others. [Click for more]
5 April 2022 - A Cretacoranina punctata crab from the Pawpaw Formation.
11 Jan 2022 - Revisited and old site that produces Petrodus shark denticles. [Click for more]
2 Feb 2020 - Explored some old and new areas in Young County, Texas. [Click for more]
21 May 2017 - Pliosaur tooth found in Tarrant county.
[+]
7 May 2017 - NEW dinosaur tracks found in Parker County by Rita Manning and Meagan Trainham. [Click for more]/a>
29 April 2017 - Reptile tooth (Ichthyosaur or Pliosaur)
Mystery fossils........... (18 July 2014)
[+]![[+]](fieldtrips/2014-07-18/2014-07-18-018-800.jpg){kind=link}
A Hybodus (Polyacrodus) shark tooth (26 June 2014)
Some nice examples of fossil sponges (24 May 2014)
Here are some photos of the excavation of a Pachyrhizodus Fish in Arlington, Texas in October 1979 and
the excavation of the "Heath Mosasaur" in Rockwall, Texas in November 1979. (Courtesy Mike O)
A "Mastodon" tooth found by Barry A. (2 Oct 2012)
A "pterosaur" tooth (4 Aug 2012)
AA rare early "mosasaurid" jaw found by Kerry K. (25 Sep 2011).
[+]
A rare fish brain cast found by Roz M. (20 Sep 2011)
Pennsylvanian Period (c. 300 mya)
A large Heliospongia sp. sponge found by Roz M. (8 Jan 2011)
Crateraster texensis starfish, found by Wes K. (Dec. 2010)
Symmorium (Cladodus) shark tooth, Pennsylvanian Period, c. 300 mya (9 Oct 2010)
A very large shark centrum (17 Sep 2010)
Salenia volana echinoid (15 Aug 2010)
Squalicorax falcatus shark tooth (3 July 2010)
Platypterygius sp. ichthyosaur vertebrae (found by Roz M on 20 June 2010)
Ctenochelys sp. (Toxochelys sp.) turtle skull from Arkansas (23 May 2010)
Possible new Lefortia sp. echinoid from Arkansas (22 May 2010)
Possible Pachyrhizodus sp. fish tail (20 April 2010)
April 30 & May 3, 2010 - News coverage of the Pterosaur discovery.
New dinosaur tracks (Joanna's Tracks) we found on east side of Glen Rose, Texas
(discovered Oct. 30, 2009, photographed Jan. 13, 2010.)
