Finding Fossil Information On The Web
Author: Claudia Mann

Fossil information sites are abundant on the web. But not all
sites are created equal. Some sites are scholarly and may be
over-the-head of the first-time or casual fossil collector. At
the other end of the spectrum are sites that are a collection
of links with no real information. Their sole purpose is making
money from their google ads. There are plenty of sites in
between that offer every form of fossil information you can
imagine and for every audience.

Focused Sites
The scholarly sites often delve deeply into one fossil
information topic. Dr. Sam Gon III's site-
http://www.trilobites.info/ shares just about anything you
would want to learn about trilobites. His site is easy to
navigate because it links logical topics, but also because it
has a long list of the topics covered on the home page. Elasmo-
http://www.elasmo.com/  covers sharks: fossil sharks, modern
sharks, classification and disputed classification. This site
is usable by the novice, but has enough depth to bring you back
over and over again.

General Sites
Sites like UCMP- http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/  approach the
fossil information topic from a broad perspective. They have a
huge amount of information on fossils. They include
fossil-related topics like geologic time and classification
(phylogeny) of both fossil and modern species.
Fossils-facts-and-finds'-
http://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com/ target audience is
teachers and pre-college students. The topics covered relate to
both fossils and geologic time, but additionally include tips
and lesson plans for sharing the information with students, and
there are projects that students can do on their own.

Especially For Kids
Since fossil information is often needed by young students,
there are sites feared toward short, quality information about
specific species. Enchanted Learning-
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html  gives a little
information about LOTS of topics…not just fossils and
dinosaurs. Their approach gives good starter information.

No Help Here
Watch out for "links-only" sites. These sites contain long
lists of linked sites that MAY contain pertinent fossil
information, but you can waste huge amounts of time following
these links and never really find what you are looking for. (Of
course, that's what these sites WANT you to do, because for
every click, they make money!)

Fossil Directories
Good niche directory sites, on the other hand, can be of great
help. Bob's Rock Shop- http://www.rockhounds.com/  is a good
directory of fossil information sites because Bob has looked at
the sites and puts a short note about the information you can
find at each linked site.

Read the descriptions! With a little scrutiny, you'll save
yourself time, avoid the "no information" link sites, and get
on to the business of getting REAL fossil information!


About The Author: For more fossil information visit
http://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com. If you need fossils for
classrooms, scouting activities, geology activities, or
homeschooling http://www.fossilicious.com offers free shipping,
quantity discounts, and a wide selection to fit your needs.