When so many relics are stumbled on by accident, it is a wonder that specialists still bother digging around in books, rather than just going for a wander. Indeed, New Mexico State University recently revealed that it received a call last year from the parents of nine-year-old Jude Sparks, who had literally stumbled over a 1.2m-year-old fossil. Sparks was out walking with his family in Las Cruces, New Mexico, when he tripped over something jutting out from the earth. He thought it was the skull of a “big fat rotten cow”, but biologist Prof Peter Haude determined that it belonged to a Stegomastodon – a distant relative of the elephant, and similar to a mastodon. The university estimates that the process to study and reconstruct the skull, jaw and tusks will take several years to complete.
If Jude’s story has inspired you, you might want to follow these tips provided to the Guardian by Prof Paul Barrett, president of the Palaeontographical Society and a researcher at the Natural History Museum. “Finding fossils is a mixture of pure chance and careful planning,” says Barrett. “It takes a keen eye and lots of looking at the ground to see those that erosion has started to uncover.”
Don’t get too excited if you stumble over one, though – chances are you haven’t hit the jackpot, as it won’t belong to you. Barrett says if you find a fossil you should always seek the landowner’s permission before removing it from the ground. In countries such as China, South Africa and Brazil, some types of fossils are the property of the state, while in the UK and US, what you should do depends on who owns the land and what you have found.
“Many fossils are common and widespread, and there are few regulations governing these as they have low commercial value, and are of mainly personal or minor scientific interest,” says Barrett.
Other types of fossils are much rarer, however, and may be more valuable. “These are the ones that are treated more sensitively by both landowners/owners and the scientific community, as well as professional fossil dealers,” Barrett adds.
So, before you unleash your inner Indiana Jones, take note. And remember, if it looks like a fat, rotten cow, you could have a Stegamastodon.
• This article was amended on 31 July 2017 to clarify that fossils are studied by paleontologists, whereas archeologists study artefacts and human remains.
