The Best Dinosaur Fossils to Collect for Beginners!
Above: Spiny protecting his teeth!
Post Author - Ellis Nolan
Are you fascinated by fossils? Delighted by dinosaurs? Do you want to start a collection, but don’t know what to get first? Have no fear, Mini Museum is here! Here’s our top 5 specimens for beginner collectors, with an extra special addition!
1. Amber
Above: Amber often contains plant seeds, insects, and even arachnids!
Amber is a show-stopper of a fossil. These specimens consist of beautiful crystallized tree sap that can sometimes contain and preserve insects, plant matter, and even dinosaur tails! Well known in popular culture for its pivotal role in Jurassic Park, these fossils also have the advantage of being easy to display, and are difficult to damage or break under most circumstances.
2. Teeth
Above: A beautiful Carcharodontosaurus tooth specimen!
Dinosaur teeth are some of the most abundant and best-preserved fossils to be found. They are great beginner specimens as well since they are quite tough, come in a range of sizes and different species, and are unlikely to break or fall apart in most cases. Mini Museum has a milieu of carnivorous crunchers, shark snappers and herbivore munch-machines, perfect for sharing your love of prehistoric times!
3. Dinosaur Poop
Above: Don’t worry, we promise these specimens don’t smell
Sometimes the most humble specimens tell the most interesting stories. Case in point: coprolites! A coprolite is a petrified dinosaur dropping, or “dino dung” and is actually one of the most important sources of dinosaur history for scientists. The daily habits and routines of dinosaurs are spelled out in coprolites, and they are a fascinating and unique fossil!
4. Sea Creatures
Above: Amazing spiral ammonites!
One of the disadvantages of being preserved beneath Earth’s surface for millions of years, is that dinosaur fossils are usually incomplete when they are found. But not always, and nothing quite captures the imagination like seeing the full picture. That’s why number 4 on our list are sea creatures, such as ammonite and trilobite fossils! These creatures can often be found entirely intact, and are beautiful examples of the fossil preservation process!
5. Your Favorite Dinosaur!
Above: The tyrant lizard king!
There’s nothing like having a fossil of your favorite dinosaur. These mysterious creatures have struck us with awe for centuries, and new research is always developing; there’s always something new to learn about a fossil!
6. BONUS - A Curated Collection
Above: A large Mini Museum Dinosaur Collection in all its glory
Creating your own custom collection is lots of fun, but Mini Museum has the unique offering of a curated fossil collection in the form of Mini Museum Dino! This collection is portable, shareable, and you won’t have to worry about losing any specimens, since they’re safely enclosed in polished acrylic. This is a wonderful option for starting a collection, particularly if you are in an educational environment!
Want more fossils? Check out our full collection here!
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