Paleontology in the Bighorn Basin

The 260-plus million acres administered by the BLM are rich in  fossils. Most public lands are simply those rejected by homesteaders as too  steep, too dry, and too barren to support a family. What is unsuitable for  agriculture is perfect for fossil discoveries.

Paleontologists have been collecting fossils in the Bighorn Basin  since before 1880. Rocks in the Basin and along the flanks of the Bighorns and  Absarokas range from about 600 million years to about three million years old,  and all but one geologic period is represented.

The Bighorn Basin, and Wyoming in general, has yielded many kinds  of fossils. The region is arid, so little soil or vegetation forms to obscure  the exposures of bare rock. Also, when rain falls, it often does so violently  and quickly erodes the surface, exposing more and more fossils.

Collecting. Much of the surface is administered  by the BLM, so while hobbyists may collect petrified wood, invertebrates, and  plant fossils, vertebrates are kept in the public trust through BLM's collecting  permit process.

May I Collect Fossils? You may collect a variety  of fossils on public lands, with certain restrictions. Special management  designations restrict access and types of activities on some public lands. It is  always a good idea to stop by the nearest BLM office to check on local  conditions such as land status, fire danger, or road closures. On private lands,  fossils may be collected only with the permission of the landowner.

Invertebrates - no permit is required to collect  reasonable amounts of invertebrate fossils such as:

trilobites

brachiopods

ammonites

The invertebrate fossils you collect are for your personal use and  enjoyment, and may not be bartered or sold. Please remember to leave some for  the next collector, too.

Petrified Wood - you may collect:

• up to 25 pounds of petrified wood, plus one piece, each day.
• no more than 250 pounds in any calendar  year without a permit.

You may not combine your allowance with  another collector's allowance to obtain larger pieces of petrified wood. And you  can't sell it without a special permit.

Other Plant Fossils - no  permit is required to collect reasonable amounts of plant fossils such as  leaves. They are for your personal use and may not be bartered or sold.

Vertebrates - vertebrate  fossils may only be collected with a permit because of their relative rarity and  scientific importance. They include not only bones and teeth, but also  footprints, burrows and other traces of activity.

Vertebrate fossils are fragile and complex  and permit applicants must be able to show a sufficient level of training and  experience in order to collect them. In addition, all vertebrate fossils  collected under a permit must be held in an approved  repository.