Fossil Find

Agatized Coral is found along the Pacific Rim, commonly referred as the
"Ring of Fire" for its high incidence of volcanic activity. Extensive volcanic eruptions repeatedly buried offshore reefs with ash and debris. After burial, the decay of the ash released silica and other minerals which in turn reacted with the carbonate of the coral preserving the structure as a fossil.

Turritella Agate occurs in the Green River Formation in southwestern Wyoming, northeastern Utah, and northwestern Colorado. These small snails lived in ancient fresh water lakes that geologists call Lake Gosiute and Lake Uinta. Over time, the shells were replaced by fine grained quartz creating this unique fossil.

Petrified Wood originates from ancient trees buried by volcanic ash or other sediments. The lack of oxygen initially preserves the wood. Over time, all the organic material is replaced with other minerals (most often a silicate, such as quartz), but still retains the original structure of the wood.

Crinoids are marine animals and were much more numerous both in species and numbers in the past but still survive today. They lived in both shallow water and to depths as great as 6,000 meters. Some thick limestone beds are entirely made up of crinoid fragments.

Trilobites are now an extinct arthropod. Modern arthropods include insects, spiders, centipedes, shrimp and crayfish. Trilobites appear to have been exclusively marine organisms, since the fossilized remains of trilobites are always found in rocks containing fossils of other salt-water animals such as crinoids and corals. Trilobite fossils are found worldwide, with many thousands of known species. Because they appeared quickly in geological time, and moulted like other arthropods, trilobites serve as excellent index fossils, enabling geologists to date the age of the rocks in which they are found.