Fossil Identifier. Name Any Fossil from a Photo.
Upload a photo of a fossil. The AI examines preserved shape, surface texture, ribbing patterns, and segmentation to determine the species, geological period, and formation type. Works on shells, bones, teeth, plant imprints, and trace fossils. Free, no account needed.
Drop a fossil photo here or tap to upload
JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC • Max 50 MB • 1 free scan per day
Analyzing your fossil…
How the Fossil Identifier Works
Photograph the Fossil
Use natural light. Brush off loose sediment. Shoot straight on so the preserved surface fills the frame. Include a coin or ruler for scale if you have one handy.
AI Reads the Preserved Features
The model checks symmetry, ribbing, segmentation, surface ornamentation, and overall morphology against a reference set of known fossil taxa. It also considers the host rock type.
Get the Identification
You receive the fossil name, broad taxonomic group, estimated geological period, formation process, and notes on where that type is commonly found. One screen, no digging through textbooks.
What Is a Fossil Identifier?
A fossil identifier analyzes your photo against a database of labeled specimens and returns the name, geological period, and preservation type. The Rock Identifier app runs the same AI that powers the web scanner.
How AI Reads Fossils
The model looks at overall shape, bilateral symmetry, ribbing patterns, segmentation, and surface ornamentation. It compares those signals against thousands of labeled fossil images. A coiled shell with regular ribs points toward ammonite. A segmented body with a semicircular head shield points toward trilobite. The more diagnostic detail visible in the photo, the narrower the match.
Body Fossils
These are actual remains of organisms. Shells, bones, teeth, exoskeletons. The original hard parts get replaced by minerals during burial, but the shape stays intact down to fine surface detail. Mollusk shells, vertebrate bones, and arthropod carapaces all fall into this category. Body fossils give the AI the most to work with because the morphology is distinct and well documented in the literature.
Mold and Cast Fossils
When an organism decays inside rock, it leaves an empty cavity called a mold. If minerals later fill that cavity, the result is a cast. Molds show the external surface in reverse. Casts reproduce the original shape. Both are common in sandstone and limestone. The AI looks for organized surface detail to distinguish them from random holes in rock.
Trace Fossils
Footprints, burrows, feeding trails, coprolites. These record behavior, not body parts. Dinosaur trackways are trace fossils. So are the meandering trails left by trilobites crawling across Cambrian sea floors. The AI detects repeating patterns and bilateral symmetry that separate genuine traces from erosion marks or random scratches in the rock surface.
Petrified Wood
Wood where the original cellulose was replaced by silica, cell by cell, preserving the internal ring structure in stone. Cross-sections show annual growth rings. Exterior surfaces show bark texture. Petrified wood is one of the most confidently identified fossil types because the cellular pattern is unmistakable even in phone photos. Arizona and Madagascar produce some of the most vivid specimens.
Common Fossils People Find
Ammonites top the list. Their coiled, ribbed shells turn up in Jurassic and Cretaceous marine sediments on every continent. Brachiopods look like clam shells but are unrelated and vastly outnumber actual clams in the fossil record. Crinoid stem segments, small circular discs with a center hole, litter Mississippian limestone across the American Midwest. Shark teeth wash up on beaches from the Carolinas to Morocco.
Photographing Fossils
Brush off loose sediment first. The AI needs to see preserved structures, not the dirt covering them. Shoot in overcast natural light to avoid harsh shadows. Fill the frame so the fossil occupies most of the image. If you can place a coin beside it for scale, do it. For ammonites, capture the ribbing pattern. For trilobites, show the head shield and segmented thorax. One focused shot beats five blurry angles.
Limitations
The AI handles common macrofossils well. Microfossils like foraminifera and diatoms are too small for a phone camera to capture the diagnostic features. Fragmentary specimens with partial shells or isolated bone chips often lack enough detail for confident identification. Rare species outside the training data may not match at all. For the mineral replacing your fossil, try the mineral identifier. For a second opinion, try the Lens App.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I identify a fossil?
Photograph it in natural light against a plain background, showing the preserved surface detail. Upload the image to the fossil identifier above.
What fossil is this?
Upload a clear photo to the scanner above. The AI compares shape, ribbing, segmentation, and surface detail against known fossils and returns the most likely match.
Where are fossils commonly found?
Almost exclusively in sedimentary rock. Limestone quarries, shale outcrops, riverbanks, coastal cliffs, and road cuts are the most productive locations.
How old is my fossil?
Age depends on the species and the rock formation. Trilobites are Paleozoic (250 to 540 million years). Ammonites are mostly Mesozoic (66 to 252 million years).
Is it legal to collect fossils?
Rules vary by location. In the US, common invertebrate fossils on BLM land for personal use are generally allowed. Vertebrate fossils on federal land require a permit.
Can AI identify dinosaur bones?
AI can recognize a fossilized bone fragment and often narrow it to a general category. Exact species identification from one photo is rarely possible without formation and location context.
How do I tell a fossil from a regular rock?
Fossils show organized structure: symmetrical shapes, ribbing, segmentation, or cellular patterns. If a feature looks biological rather than random, it is likely a fossil.
What are the most common fossils?
Brachiopods, crinoid stem segments, bryozoans, horn corals, and small gastropods. In marine limestone, these can number in the thousands per square meter.
Is there a free fossil identifier app?
Yes. Rock Identifier includes fossil identification and is free on iOS and Android. The web tool at rockidentifier.io offers one free fossil scan per day.