Educational Publications

Collecting Fossils in Maryland

1979 (revised 1995), Glaser, J.D.

Educational Series 4

Introduction

One of the more frequent information requests put to the Maryland Geological Survey concerns where fossils are to be found in our State. This booklet is an attempt to answer that question. Although small in area, Maryland is remarkably diverse in its geologic heritage, containing a wealth of fossils spanning some 600 million years of earth history. Most of the common ones are discussed in the pages that follow, but others that are not mentioned in the text will be found by the diligent collector. For this reason, a fairly complete list of references dealing with Maryland fossils is included. The hobbyist interested in identifying all of his finds is urged to consult these.

The reader will find the emphasis in this booklet placed on specific localities—how to get there and what may be found at each site. In addition, an effort has been made to include localities representative of all of the fossil bearing rocks in the State, and thus to achieve a geographic balance. Fossil collecting can be a fascinating hobby and an end in itself, but it can also lead the inquisitive collector to a greater appreciation of Earth history, and indeed the nature of life as it has evolved on our planet.

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Educational Series 4 (pdf, 14 MB, archived)