Triceratops Skull

Finding a Dinosaur

Where to Search

Subject Guide: Where to Search

Dinosaur Search License

I use the following license format that I found on line some years ago. I do not remember the source. For a copy in Word click below and modify the text to fit your situation: make it exclusive or nonexclusive, with or without a signing bonus, etc., as you wish.

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Gaining Search Permission & Access

When the name of the landowner is not included as a part of the parcel data, I call the county assessors office, use public records, and directories at the county library. I search the online files of the Secretary of State to see if the property is owned by a corporation.  Often

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Finding the Land Owner

Interactive Maps Since each county may have a different mapping system you will need to learn new access and use steps for each of your target areas. Some counties have a GIS man on staff. They are always a great help. Call them. To proceed with our search example on

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Finding Search Targets on Private Land

In this process you will be working to overlay and match up two sets of data, i.e, surface land geological data with land ownership data. The geological data will come from the state and federal geological maps while the ownership data will come from a local county assessors office. You

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Finding the Extent of Formations Containing Dinosaurs

The geological data you will need may be in either manual, hard copy form on interactive online form.  Manual Hard Copy Geological Maps I studied all of the detailed geological maps I could find to specifically locate where the Cretaceous age sediments were exposed. Of course this was always in

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Identify Dinosaur Formations

You can also start a search with a general list of all the sedimentary formations in which dinosaur fossils have been reported regardless of the location of a specific discovery site. You will need to find out which strata have the potential for fossils and which are barren. You learn

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Where to Search for Dinosaurs

Before you can actually hike and search, you need to gain permission to search on land that has the potential for dinosaur fossils.  I use a 5 step process that is detailed in the next few sections. There are likely many ways to approach this issue. What I share has

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Triceratops Skull

Finding A Dinosaur

by Dick Wills