Petrified dinosaur bone is a fossil formed through the permineralization process, where minerals like chalcedony replace the original organic bone structure. Collectors look for the distinct 'cell' pattern of the bone, which often preserves the visual characteristics of the original marrow spaces.
Is this petrified dinosaur bone?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch petrified dinosaur bone with a known reference. Petrified Dinosaur Bone sits at Mohs 6.5-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Name the organismDecide what left the fossil before worrying about the rock. Organism: Dinosaurs. Age: Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous.
- 3Check the preservationPreservation: Permineralization: minerals fill the pores of bone. That controls the weight, the hardness and how the piece takes a polish.
- 4Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to waxy.
- 5Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, brown, yellow, black, white.
Often confused with
Petrified Dinosaur Bone vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside petrified dinosaur bone
Minerals reported to co-occur with petrified dinosaur bone. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 2.6-2.7 g/cm³
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- sedimentary deposits
- Organism
- Dinosaurs
- Age
- Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous
- Preservation
- Permineralization: minerals fill the pores of bone
Where rockhounds find petrified dinosaur bone
6 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Colorado, USA
- Utah, USA
- Wyoming, USA
- Madagascar
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: sedimentary deposits. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, calcite in float, you are in the right ground. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Utah, Wyoming. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify petrified dinosaur bone?+
Where is petrified dinosaur bone found?+
Can I find petrified dinosaur bone in the United States?+
What rocks look like petrified dinosaur bone?+
What minerals are found with petrified dinosaur bone?+
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Find petrified dinosaur bone on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
