Dig Sites
List of all dig sites in Jurassic World Evolution 2.
Last updated date: 2024-05-16
| Name | Locations | Requirements | Duration | Cost | Fossils | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abrahamskraal Formation | Africa ┗ South Africa ┗ Northern Cape | 4 (Logistics) | 07:50 | $570,000 |  x5  x1 | The Abrahamskraal Formation in South Africa dates back around 259-268 million years and is part of the Karoo Supergroup, a rock formation that covers almost two-thirds of the country. It is famed in the paleontology community for housing a vast array of dinosaur fossils – the remains of many early dinocephalians, gorgonopsians and therocephalians have been recovered from the Abrahamskraal Formation, as well as the only known examples of the synapsid Elliotsmithia. This formation is made primarily of mudstone and sandstone and incorporates both the Tapinocephalus and Eodicynodon Assemblage Zones – areas that are known to hold an abundance of Tapinocephalus (a large, herbivorous dinocephalian) and Eodicynodon (an herbivorous synapsid notable for its pronounced snout). The Abrahamskraal Formation lies between the Teekloof Formation and the Ecca Group, and ranges in color from greenish-grey to reddish-brown. While the Abrahamskraal Formation is primarily known for the range of dinosaur fossils within its rocks, it also contains a variety of historical flora and fauna, including the plants Dadoxylon and Schizoneura africana, early amphibians such as Rhinesuchus, molluscs and fish. |
| Antlers Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Oklahoma | 11 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $850,000 |  x2  x2 Aquatic Mammal Fossils  $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 Gold  $230,000 x1 $230,000 x1 | The Antlers Formation is large stratum underlying parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. The formation primarily consists of mudstone, clays and sandstone. It dates to around 115 million years ago and is roughly 150m thick. A number of different fish, reptiles, amphibians and early mammals have been found here but the most famous finds are those of the dinosaur Acrocanthosaurus. One specimen recovered here is the largest so far discovered and also contains the only complete skull. The formation is a contemporary of the nearby Twin Mountains Formation and they are both contained within the Trinity Group of strata. Acrocanthosaurus and certain other dinosaur fossils can be found in both formations, indicating they are examples of a similar environment and time period. |
| Bahariya Formation | Africa ┗ Egypt ┗ Gebel El-Dist | 13 (Logistics) | 08:30 | $2,000,000 | x1  x2 x1 Fungi Fossils  $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 Rhodium  $90,000 x2 $90,000 x1 | The Bahariya Formation is a collection of rock strata located in the Western Desert region of Egypt. The El Heiz and El Naqb Formations sit above it and the basement underneath. It was named after the nearby Bahariya Oasis by Said in 1962. The stratigraphic range dates to the early Cenomanian, around 100 to 94 million years ago. It forms the base of a vast depression, and the sediment is formed through successive layers from rises and falls in sea level. It is primarily sandstone, with siltstone and mudstone also in evidence. This site is known as one of the most productive fossil sites in Africa. As such a wide variety of finds originate from the Bahariya Formation, including lepidosaurs, sauropods, and theropods. Fish fossils are abundant here, including giant predatory fish. Despite this known richness of finds, it remains one of the least studied. |
| Baynshire Formation | Asia ┗ Mongolia ┗ Gobi Desert | 4 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $510,000 |  x5  x1  x1 | Dating back around 86-102 million years to the Cretaceous period, the Baynshire Formation – also know as the Bayan Shireh Formation – is a body of rock found in northern Mongolia. The formation overlies the Baruunbayan Formation and underlies the Javkhlant Formation, and is made up primarily of claystone and sandstone, reaching a thickness of around 300m. The Baynshire Formation is famed for its incredible biodiversity; it is the location of a huge number of fossil finds, with a rich variety of dinosaur remains recovered from the site including the large ornithomimosaur Deinocheirus, which can grow up to 11m in length and over seven tons in weight. Experts believe the majority of the region’s paleofauna dates back to the Turonian and Early Campanian stages of the late Cretaceous period. The hadrosauroid Gobihadros was discovered in the Baynshire Formation in 2019, while other genera found include the ankylosaurids Maleevus and Amtosaurus, various sauropods and the ceratopsian Graciliceratops. The site is also notable for housing the remains of many pterosaurs, turtles, mammals and fish, making it a popular site for paleontological excavations. |
| Bissekty Formation | Asia ┗ Uzbekistan ┗ Kyzyl Kum | 6 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $760,000 | x1 x2 x2 Coral Fossils  $40,000 x2 Dinosaur Eggs  $390,000 x1 $390,000 x1 | The Bissekty Formation is located at the Dzharakuduk escarpment in the Kyzl Kum desert in Uzbekistan. It underlies the Aitym Formation and sits above the Dzheirantui Formation. The formation dates to the Turonian to Coniacian stages of the Late Cretaceous epoch, 90 million years ago. It comprises of two units: This formation was formed from a coastal region from the receding sea of the earlier period, and then once again under the sea in the next. It is primarily composed of sandstone. Some of the oldest ornithomimid theropod dinosaur remains are known from this site. It’s also known as the richest site of Turonian terrestrial fauna known from Eurasia. Therian fauna including one stem marsupial are also common here. A wide range of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial fossils have been recovered from this region. This includes arthropods, molluscs, turtles, amphibians, fish, crocodylomorphs, lizards, mammals and dinosaurs. |
| Blythesdale Formation | Australia ┗ Australia ┗ Queensland | 4 (Logistics) | 05:00 | $180,000 |  x4  x3  x3 Osmium  $110,000 x2 | The Blythesdale Formation is situated in Queensland, Northeastern Australia. The geological formation dates back to the early Cretaceous and is home to the Minmi Crossing, the area that gives the Minmi genus its name. This formation is composed primarily of siltstone and mudstone, as well as sandstone and coal. |
| Bone Valley Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Florida | 13 (Logistics) | 08:30 | $2,160,000 |  x4  x3  x3 | The Bone Valley Formation is located in Florida, on the south east coast of the United States, and is significant in the world of palaeontology thanks to the vast array of fossils that have been uncovered at the site. The formation, which dates back around 10-15 million years to the Miocene era, has a grey-brown appearance due to its composition of sand, marl and clay, and it can reach a thickness of up to 30 metres. This formation is the site of a rich variety of different species - most of which existed long after dinosaurs died out. Examples of prehistoric turtles, horses and cats have been recovered by local explorers, and because the Bone Valley Formation is rich in phosphates, most of the specimens reclaimed are extremely well-preserved. Of all the animals recovered from the Bone Valley Formation, the most exciting is surely Megalodon. This giant shark can grow to more than 16 metres long, and is one of the most fearsome predators the world has ever seen. Specimens excavated from the formation include a number of baby Megalodon teeth. |
| Candeleros Formation | South America ┗ Argentina ┗ Neuquén Province | 11 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $850,000 | x7 x5 x4 Rhenium  $110,000 x2 Aquatic Plant Fossils  $230,000 x1 $230,000 x2 $230,000 x3 | The Candeleros Formation is situated in the Rio Negro, Neuquén and Mendoza provinces in Argentina. The formation was named after the Candeleros Hill located nearby. It is the oldest member of the Neuquén Group, and sits beneath the Huincul Formation and above the Lohan Cura Formation. It dates to the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous epoch, 100 million years ago. The formation was formed from a complex river system and is mostly comprised of sandstone and conglomerates. Siltstone (likely from swamps) and soil deposits are also found there. The environment has been compared to the conditions found at the Bahariya Formation of Egypt and the Kem Kem Beds of Morocco A vast range of fauna fossils have been recovered from the formation including fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, mammals, and various types of dinosaurs. Preserved dinosaur tracks have also been discovered in the Kokorkom Desert. |
| Canjuers | Europe ┗ France ┗ Canjuers | 5 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $440,000 |  x2  x1  x2 Rhodium $90,000 x2 Shark Fossils  $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 | Canjuers is a military camp in southeastern France, built on a base of Portland Stone. Portland Stone is calcareous stone from the Late Jurassic period, named for the Island of Portland in Dorset where it is primarily quarried. This layer of stone gradually accumulated in areas of warm, shallow sea water. Portland Stone is popular in building, and quarries that excavate it regularly discover dinosaur specimens. |
| Cedar Mountain Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Eastern Utah | 6 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $380,000 | x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 x2 x4 x3 x3 x9 x4 x2 Crurotarsans Fossils  $40,000 x1 Fish Fossils  $90,000 x1 Platinum  $450,000 x1 | The Cedar Mountain Formation is a geologic formation situated in eastern Utah. It's named after Cedar Mountain where William Lee Stokes first investigated it in 1944. It lies between the Morrison Formation beneath and the Naturita Formation above. It has been dated to the Early Cretaceous epoch, 120 million years ago. The formation is formed from layers of non-marine sediments including the deposits from rivers, lakes and floodplains. Studies on the dinosaur fossils here didn’t start until the 1990s. So far, the finds appear to form two different sets. The lower layers contain older dinosaurs similar to European dinosaurs of the age, while the upper finds are similar to the younger Asian dinosaurs. This discrepancy is caused by the continental drift as North America moved westward. It is known as one of the most productive Early Cretaceous locations for fossil finds. A wide variety of dinosaurs, fish, amphibians, birds and mammals have been discovered, as well as many others. |
| Cerro Fortaleza Formation | South America ┗ Argentina ┗ Santa Cruz Province | 12 (Logistics) | 08:30 | $3,400,000 |  x5  x4 Chordate Fossils  $40,000 x3 $40,000 x2 $40,000 x2 Aquatic Plant Fossils $230,000 x1 $230,000 x1 | The Cerro Fortaleza Formation is found in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in southernmost Patagonia. The formation dates back to the Late Cretaceous, and is primarily composed of sandstone, which would have been formed by fluvial processes - matter carried and deposited by rivers and streams. Numerous titanosaur specimens have been recovered from this formation, including the Puertasaurus, and recently, the Dreadnoughtus. |
| Chenini Formation | Africa ┗ Tunisia ┗ Tataouine | 13 (Logistics) | 10:00 | $4,000,000 | x1 x3 x2 Opalised Fossils  $130,000 x1 Platinum $450,000 x1 $450,000 x1 | The Chenini Formation is located in Tataouine region in southern Tunisia in North Africa. It is a member of the Ain el Guetter Group and dates back to the Albian era of the Early Cretaceous epoch, 110 million years ago. The formation is 50 meters deep. It consists mostly of coarse sandstone, along with some mudstone and conglomerates. During the Early Cretaceous, the area would have been a wetland with marshes and pools. Bar and channel deposits reveal broad rivers that flowed from the mid-Sahara towards the southern shore of Tethys. The formation contains rich finds of fish, turtle, crocodile, and dinosaur fossils. Fern fronds and other signs of vegetation are also present. |
| Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry A | North America ┗ USA ┗ Utah | 7 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $480,000 |  x2 x1 x1 x2 x1 x1 Cynodont Fossils  $40,000 x1 Silver  $130,000 x1 Buried Treasure  $640,000 x1 | The Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry is famed for being one of the most productive fossil-bearing areas for Jurassic finds. It is situated in the San Rafael Swell near Cleveland in Utah. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in October 1965. The quarry was first discovered by animal herders during the late 19th century, but it wasn’t until 1927 that a team from University of Utah sent an expedition to recover some 800 bones. The quarry is part of the larger Morrison Formation and consists of mudstone from a river system. It is believed to be a predator trap, with dinosaurs becoming trapped in the thick mud and creating a great accumulation of remains. However, other theories contend that a drought, or other disaster was the cause for such a mass grave,. A diverse range of remains have been recovered from the quarry including plants, gastropods, chordata and dinosaurs. |
| Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry B | North America ┗ USA ┗ Utah | 11 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $1,400,000 |  x3  x1  x1 x1 x2 x2 Cynodont Fossils $40,000 x4 Silver $130,000 x1 | The Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry is famed for being one of the most productive fossil-bearing areas for Jurassic finds. It is situated in the San Rafael Swell near Cleveland in Utah. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in October 1965. The quarry was first discovered by animal herders during the late 19th century, but it wasn’t until 1927 that a team from University of Utah sent an expedition to recover some 800 bones. The quarry is part of the larger Morrison Formation and consists of mudstone from a river system. It is believed to be a predator trap, with dinosaurs becoming trapped in the thick mud and creating a great accumulation of remains. However, other theories contend that a drought, or other disaster was the cause for such a mass grave,. A diverse range of remains have been recovered from the quarry including plants, gastropods, chordata and dinosaurs. |
| Cloverly Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Utah | 6 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $480,000 | x2 x2 x1 x3 x2 x1 Coral Fossils $40,000 x1 Bird Footprints  $90,000 x1 Dinosaur Eggs $390,000 x1 | The Cloverly Formation is spread across Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah in the western USA. It was named after a post office in Bighorn Basin, Wyoming by N.H. Darton in 1904. The formation underlies the Thermopolis Shale and overlies the Morrison Formation. It varies in thickness between 46 to 122 meters. It dates back to the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch, 115 million years ago. The formation is formed from mudstone, with conglomerate, clay and sandstone also present. The region was comprised of alluvial and floodplain deposits, with evidence for rivers and pools. This formation is comprised of three members. The lowest member is the Little Sheep mudstone members. The Pryor conglomerate layer is situated to the north in Bighorn Basin. The uppermost layer is the Himes member. An abundance of remains have been recovered from this region including dinosaur eggs, mammals, and fish. |
| Coal Oil Canyon | North America ┗ USA ┗ Kansas | 6 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $760,000 |  x2  x1  x2 | Coal Oil Canyon in Kansas, USA is somewhat overshadowed by the nearby Hell Creek Formation but, while it might not have such a rich history of dinosaur fossils as its neighbor, it has provided plenty of prehistoric discoveries in its own right. The canyon takes its name from the nearby water springs, which shimmer as if covered in a film of oil. The rock formation itself is made primarily from grey shale, but its dull appearance belies the rich variety of fossils hidden within it – many marine reptiles have been excavated from the site, most notably the plesiosaur Styxosaurus. Up to 11m in length and boasting large, sharp teeth, Styxosaurus was a formidable predator capable of swallowing its food whole. Its fierce appearance is reflected in its name, which refers to the Styx, an underworld river in Greek mythology that was home to fictional beasts such as the Styx dragon and the Hydroloth. |
| Dinosaur National Monument A | North America ┗ USA ┗ Uinta Mountains | 7 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $390,000 | x1 x2 x2 x1 x1 x2 x2 x1 x1 Chordate Fossils $40,000 x1 Turtle Fossils  $40,000 x1 Aquatic Plant Fossils $230,000 x1 $230,000 x1 | The Dinosaur National Monument is located within the Morrison Formation in the Uinta Mountains along the Colorado and Utah border. It was established as a national monument on 4th October 1915 by order of President Woodrow Wilson. The fossils date from the Late Jurassic epoch, 150 million years ago. The park contains over 800 paleontological sites. The fossil layer is sandstone, with some conglomerate from river beds. The region covers 200,000 acres. The bone beds were discovered by Earl Douglass in 1909 who worked for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. His crews recovered thousands of fossils. As well as the paleontological sites, this area includes prehistoric sites for the Fremont culture, the Ute and Shoshone peoples. A variety of fossils including reptiles, and crocodiles have been recovered from this region. |
| Dinosaur National Monument B | North America ┗ USA ┗ Uinta Mountains | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $780,000 | x2 x2 x1 Turtle Fossils $40,000 x2 | The Dinosaur National Monument is located within the Morrison Formation in the Uinta Mountains along the Colorado and Utah border. It was established as a national monument on 4th October 1915 by order of President Woodrow Wilson. The fossils date from the Late Jurassic epoch, 150 million years ago. The park contains over 800 paleontological sites. The fossil layer is sandstone, with some conglomerate from river beds. The region covers 200,000 acres. The bone beds were discovered by Earl Douglass in 1909 who worked for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. His crews recovered thousands of fossils. As well as the paleontological sites, this area includes prehistoric sites for the Fremont culture, the Ute and Shoshone peoples. A variety of fossils including reptiles, and crocodiles have been recovered from this region. |
| Dinosaur Park Formation A | North America ┗ Canada ┗ Alberta | 1 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $40,000 | x1 x1 Conifer Fossils  $40,000 x1 Amphibian Fossils  $130,000 x1 | The Dinosaur Park Formation forms the top layer of the Belly River Group in southern Alberta. It lies above the Oldman Formation and beneath Bearpaw Formation. The formation dates to the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous, 76 million years ago. It is named for the Dinosaur Provincial Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was established on June 27th 1955 during Alberta’s 50th Jubilee Year. The site was founded to protect the fossil beds. It became a UNESCO site on October 26th 1979 because of the importance of the fossil finds there. It is comprised of sandstone, along with mudstone and siltstone deposits. The sediments originated from erosion to mountains on its western side. They were transported by river systems that flowed into the Bearpaw Sea. This sea formed part of the Western Interior Seaway. The area is a rich source of fossil finds with plants, fish, turtles, crocodiles and dinosaur remains recovered. Preserved remains of soft tissues have also been found. |
| Dinosaur Park Formation B | North America ┗ Canada ┗ Alberta | 5 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $200,000 |  x1  x1  x1  x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 Conifer Fossils $40,000 x1 Platinum $450,000 x1 | Dinosaur Park Formation A |
| Dinosaur Park Formation C | North America ┗ Canada ┗ Alberta | 6 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $400,000 | x2 x1  x1 x2 x2 x1 Dinosaur Footprints  $230,000 x3 Platinum $450,000 x1 | Dinosaur Park Formation A |
| Djadochta Formation | Asia ┗ Mongolia ┗ Gobi Desert | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $820,000 | x2 x1 x1 | The Djadochta Formation is a geological formation located in the Gobi Desert, Central Asia and is famed for the huge number of dinosaur fossils contained within it. Made up primarily of sandstone and mudstone, the Djadochta Formation has two distinct members – the lower Bayn Dzak member, notable for its striking reddish-orange color, and the upper Turgrugyin member, which has a pale, orange-grey hue. This formation dates back around 71-75 million years to the Late Cretaceous period and is home to an incredible variety of fossils from this era. Archaeological research of the area has uncovered the remains of prehistoric turtles, amphibians, lizard and mammals, as well as the pterosaur Azhdarchidae – but the Djadochta Formation is best known for the range of dinosaur fossils it holds. The most commonly found dinosaur in the Djadochta Formation is the powerful herbivore Protoceratops – however this site has also unearthed examples of Pinacosaurus and Velociraptor, not to mention indeterminate species of Sauropoda, Tyrannosauridae and Troodontidae. In total, more than 40 different genera of dinosaur have been discovered in the Djadochta Formation. |
| Egg Mountain | North America ┗ USA ┗ Montana | 6 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $540,000 | x4 x3  x3 Silver $130,000 x1 Buried Treasure $640,000 x1 | Egg Mountain is a site of particular interest and an outcropping of the Two Medicine Formation in Montana. It is situated just south of the town of Choteau. The site dates to the Late Cretaceous, around 80 million years ago. The site is primarily sandstone, and was once a seasonal semi-arid environment – likely to have been a coastal plane along the edge of the Cretaceous Interior Seaway. In 1978, Marion Brandvold discovered some bones that Jack Horner and Bob Makela identified as a new species of hadrosaur that they named Maiasaura. The site contains the highest concentration of dinosaur discoveries ever found, including a number of egg, foetal, baby and juvenile specimens. The finds provided the first evidence that dinosaurs cared for their young, and that inspired the name of the new dinosaur species. Remains of mammals, and lizards have also been recovered from this location. |
| Fox Hills Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ South Dakota | 13 (Logistics) | 08:30 | $2,280,000 | x2 x2 x1 Snake Fossils  $90,000 x1 $90,000 x2 Opalised Fossils $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 | The Fox Hills Formation in North America runs from Alberta, Canada to Colorado, USA, and dates back around 70 million years. Overlain by the famous Hell Creek Formation in Montana, the Fox Hills Formation is the top formation of the Upper Cretaceous series, and is named after the Fox Hills of Fort Pierre, South Dakota. Made up mainly of yellow and grey sandstone, this formation is home to a number of different dinosaurs and reptiles including tyrannosaurs and large marine predators from the mosasaur family, although it is equally well-known for the huge number of ammonite fossils it has preserved. |
| Frenchman Formation A | North America ┗ Canada ┗ Saskatchewan | 4 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $85,000 |  x3  x1 x1 x1 x1  x2 x2 Angiosperm Fossils  $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 Fungi Fossils $40,000 x1 Cephalod Fossils  $180,000 x1 | The Frenchman Formation is situated in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the southern Saskatchewan and the Cypress Hills of south-eastern Alberta. Its name comes from the Frenchmen River and was named by G. M. Furnival in 1942. It underlies the Ravenscrag Formation, and overlies the Battle, Whitemud, Eastend, and Bearclaw Formations. It dates back to the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous, 70 million years ago. The formation primarily consists of sandstone, but with claystone and clay-cast conglomerate deposits as well. Its widest reported thickness is 113 meters. paleoclimate estimates for this formation are 12–14 degrees centigrade, so indicating a subtropical climate. Abundant remains of Triceratops (of varying ages) and other ceratopsids have been found here, along with other dinosaur fauna, as well as amphibians and fish. Gastropods and other invertebrates have also been found here. It is also a rich site for plant specimens and ferns, ginkgoes and others have been recovered in various sites. |
| Frenchman Formation B | North America ┗ Canada ┗ Saskatchewan | 13 (Logistics) | 08:30 | $3,400,000 | x1 x2 x1 Fungi Fossils $40,000 x2 Cephalod Fossils $180,000 x1 | Frenchman Formation A |
| Garden Park | North America ┗ USA ┗ Colorado | 8 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $510,000 | x2 x2 x2 x2 x2 x2 Bird Footprints $90,000 x2 Rhenium $110,000 x1 | Garden Park is located in Colorado and is now more formally known as the Garden Park paleontological Resource Area. The region is part of the larger Morrison Formation and dates to the Jurassic epoch, 160 million years ago. The region is known from the Jurassic finds and the Bone Wars of the late 19th century. The upper unit of the formation is mostly mudstone, with some sandstone. The lower layer is red mudstone, but also with some thin sandstone deposits. Garden Park was formed by the erosion of rock as the Rocky Mountains were formed. The Felch Quarry 1 site is noted for the number of holotype specimens discovered. Holotypes are single specimens from which the species is formally described. The various quarries in the region have proved to be a rich source of dinosaur finds, as well as reptile, amphibian, mammal, and osteichthyes fossils. |
| Ghost Ranch | North America ┗ USA ┗ New Mexico | 4 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $340,000 | x4 x3 x3 Cynodont Fossils $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x2 | The Ghost Formation can be found in New Mexico, USA and forms part of the Ghost Ranch, a large education center run by the Presbyterian Church. The formation dates back around 200 million years and is famed for the number of fossils that have been unearthed from its sediment, with almost a thousand individual specimens found. During the 20th Century, the respected paleontologist Edwin H. Colbert studied the area, finding a huge number of examples of a single genus, Coelophysis. Subsequent analysis of the Ghost Formation has uncovered a wide range of other genera, including numerous theropod dinosaurs. |
| Guodikeng Formation | Asia ┗ China ┗ Xinjiang | 4 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $510,000 | x4 x1  x1 | Dating back to the Late Permian and Early Triassic period, the Guodikeng Formation is part of the Jilicao Group and can be found in Xinjiang, in the northwest of China. This formation is primarily made up of grey, purple and green mudstone, though it also contains siltstone and sandstone. It is overlain by the Jiucaiyuan Formation and reaches a thickness of over 200m on the north limb of the Dalongkou anticline. The Guodikeng Formation is a hotbed of paleontological discoveries, featuring a diverse range of fossils – genera including the dicynodont therapsids Jimusaria and Turfanodon and the pylaecephalid dicynodont Diictodon have all been unearthed from the formation. The most famous dinosaur found within the Guodikeng Formation is Lystrosaurus, an herbivorous dicynodont therapsid that existed around 250m years ago, notable for its large tusk-like teeth and horned beak. Lystrosaurus remains have been excavated from the upper part of the Guodikeng Formation, although they are more commonly found in the overlying Jiucaiyuan Formation. |
| Hanson Formation | Antarctica ┗ Antarctica ┗ Mount Kirkpatrick | 10 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $340,000 | x4 x3 x3 Crustacean Fossils  $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x2 Ginkgo Fossils  $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 | The Hanson Formation can be found on Mount Kirkpatrick, a mountain in Antarctica that reaches almost 15,000 feet above sea level. Along with Snow Hill Formation, the Hanson Formation is one of just two rock groups in the area in which dinosaur remains have been found. The formation dates back to the Late Cretaceous period, when the climate was very different to today with high humidity and temperatures of around 18 degrees. A wide range of dinosaurs and other animals have been unearthed from the Hanson Formation, from small pterosaurs to large sauropods. |
| Hell Creek Formation A | North America ┗ USA ┗ Montana | 4 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $100,000 | x4 x2 x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 x3 Crurotarsans Fossils $40,000 x2 Platinum $450,000 x1 | The Hell Creek Formation is one of the most famous (and most studied) dinosaur fossil sites in the world. It spreads across Montana, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming. It’s named after the exposures found along Hell Creek near Jordan in Montana. The formation sits below the Fort Union Formation and above the Fox Hills Formation. Fossil remains span the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous and the Danian stage of the Paleogene, 65 million years ago. The rock strata are mostly claystone and mudstone, with some sandstone. Crocodilian remains indicate a subtropical climate and a region of coastal plains, floodplains, and extensive rivers and pools. These ran into the Western Interior Seaway, a large inland sea that divided the North American continent during the Middle Cretaceous to early Paleogene period. The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana contains the greatest collection of fossils from the formation in the world. Beyond the numerous dinosaur finds, invertebrate, amphibian, fish, reptile, turtle, lizard, snake and mammal fossils have been recovered here. |
| Hell Creek Formation B | North America ┗ USA ┗ Montana | 6 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $400,000 | x1 x1 x2 x2 x1 x1 Opalised Fossils $130,000 x2 | Hell Creek Formation A |
| Hell Creek Formation C | North America ┗ USA ┗ Montana | 13 (Logistics) | 08:30 | $2,000,000 | Crurotarsans Fossils $40,000 x1 | Hell Creek Formation A |
| Horseshoe Canyon Formation A | North America ┗ Canada ┗ Alberta | 5 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $200,000 | x1 x1 x1 x1 x2 x2 x9 x4 x2 Ammonite Fossils  $90,000 x1 Iridium  $110,000 x1 | The Horseshoe Canyon Formation is located in south-western Alberta. It underlies the Whitemud Formation and overlays the Bearpaw Formation. It is part of the larger Edmonton Group and dates to the Campanian to early Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous epoch, 72 and 66 million years ago. It’s named for the Horseshoe Canyon, a key feature of the Badlands. The formation consists of a wide range of deposits, including sandstone, with mudstone, shale and coal also present. The formation includes floodplains, estuarine channels, coal swamps and marine waters. The wide range of deposit types means that a large number of dinosaur species have been discovered here, along with mammal, reptile, amphibian, plant, fish and invertebrate fossils. The comparative lack of turtle and crocodilian remains indicates that there was a cooler climate at this formation, although a more recent study found that the reduced diversity was due to a change in the soil conditions. |
| Horseshoe Canyon Formation B | North America ┗ Canada ┗ Alberta | 10 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $800,000 | x4 x3 x3 x4 x3 x3 Ammonite Fossils $90,000 x2 Iridium $110,000 x2 | Horseshoe Canyon Formation A |
| Hythe Formation | Europe ┗ UK ┗ Kent | 9 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $1,600,000 | x3 x2 x2 Coprolite  $40,000 x2 $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 Gold $230,000 x1 $230,000 x1 | The Hythe Formation is a sub-unit of the Lower Greensand Group, a geological group which spans from the Wealden area in Sussex to the London-Brabant Massif in East Anglia. This formation dates from the Lower Cretaceous, and is primarily composed of sandstone, sand, mudstones, and limestones. |
| Iguanodon Mine | Europe ┗ Belgium ┗ Bernissart | 9 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $1,600,000 | x4 x3 x2 Conifer Fossils $40,000 x3 $40,000 x2 $40,000 x2 Dinosaur Footprints $230,000 x1 $230,000 x1 | The Sainte-Barbe pit, located in Bernissart, Belgium, and informally known as the 'Iguanodon Mines', was a coal mine that in 1878 was the source of a remarkable discovery: dozens of highly complete Iguanodon skeletons. At the time it was theorized that such a high concentration of multiple specimens in one area indicated that Iguanodon was a herd animal, though this is not the only explanation - it's possible multiple animals could have been drawn together and buried by a flash flood or mudslide. The quarry was never fully excavated - even though at least 38 specimens were recovered - due to flooding problems, and disruption caused by World War 1. |
| Iren Dabasu Formation | Asia ┗ China ┗ Inner Mongolia | 6 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $640,000 | x2 x3 x2 x9 x2 x1 Fern Fossils  $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 Snake Fossils $90,000 x2 $90,000 x1 | The Iren Dabasu Formation is situated in the Iren Nor region of Inner Mongolia and dates to the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous, 100 million years ago. It overlies the Arshanto Formation. The first dinosaurs were discovered here in 1922, but as yet the collections haven’t been completely studied. Combined studies from Canadian and Chinese teams in 1988 and 1990 renewed interest in the location for the variety of finds there. The formation comprises of sandstone with claystone and siltstones mixed in. The deposits come from a network of broad rivers and streams. It likely had a humid climate and this may have contributed to the gigantism seen in dinosaurs compared to similar dig sites. Dinosaur eggs and turtle fossils have been excavated here. It’s also a rich source of dinosaur and microfossil finds. |
| Ischigualasto Formation | South America ┗ Argentina ┗ San Juan Province | 4 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $190,000 | x4 x2 x1 Ginkgo Fossils $90,000 x2 Aquatic Mammal Fossils $130,000 x1 | The Ischigualasto Formation is situated in the San Juan province in north-western Argentina. The formation spreads across the Ischigualasto Provincial Park and the Talampaya National Park. The current geography of the Formation resembles the surface of an extraplanetary body, as such it has gained the name “Valley of the Moon” and its original name translates to “Dead Land”. The rocky desert of today would have once been a lush floodplain with a wide variety of flora and fauna. The formation contains some of the best available fossils for the Late Triassic period, around 230 million years ago. It has produced valuable remains of Cynodonts, Rhynchosaurs and Pseudosuchians giving evidence of the evolution of mammals among other groups. Diverse flora discoveries here have helped fill out our picture of the Triassic ecosystem including many different species of fossilized plants and trees. Some of the earliest Dinosaurs discovered are also found in the Ischigualasto Formation, including the Herrerasaurus, which predates the traditional Saurischian-Ornithischian split in the dinosaur family tree and is a key and sometimes controversial piece in the development of Dinosauria. |
| Isle of Wight | Europe ┗ UK ┗ South Coast | 5 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $240,000 | x5 x4 x3 x2 x1 x1 Cynodont Fossils $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 Buried Treasure $640,000 x1 | The Isle of Wight supports one of the richest dinosaur fossil locations in Europe. It contains elements from the Wessex Formation and the Wealden Group. It is located off the southern coast of the United Kingdom and dates to the Early Cretaceous epoch, 130 million years ago. It was once situated where North Africa is today and remained stable for 10 million years. The region was once a large coastal river valley including swamps and ponds, with a subtropical climate. Sediments of mudstone are dominant with some interbedded sandstone. A large number of dinosaur remains have been recovered from what is one of the richest sites in Europe, with over 20 dinosaur species discovered. Dinosaur footprints can also be seen at Compton Bay. Bird, turtle, crocodile, and mammal fossils have also been found. |
| Javelina Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Texas | 4 (Logistics) | 07:30 | $540,000 |  x4  x3  x3 x5 x4 | Located in Texas, the Javelina Formation is part of the Tornillo Group and dates back around 66-70 million years to the late Cretaceous period. This formation is notable for the variety of dinosaur fossils that have been found there; the remains of genera including Troodon, Kritosaurus and the apex predator Tyrannosaurus have all been found within the Javelina Formation, while the pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus and the ceratopsid Bravoceratops were both discovered at the site. The Javelina Formation consists primarily of sandstone, mudstone and siltstone, giving it a distinctive purple and red colouring. It lies beneath the Black Peaks Formation and above the Aguja Formation, two strata that are also known for containing a wide array of fossils. Aside from dinosaurs, the remains of many other flora and fauna have been recovered from the Javelina Formation. Prehistoric ray specimens including Rhombodus and Dasyatis have been found at the site, while numerous plant fossils are also present - suggesting the Javelina Formation was a wooded area during the late Cretaceous period. |
| Jena Formation | Europe ┗ Germany ┗ Sachsen-Anhalt | 4 (Logistics) | 07:30 | $540,000 | x6 x1 x1 | The Jena Formation is one of six formations within the Muschelkalk group, and can be found in Thuringia, Germany. Dating back to the late Triassic period, approximately 200-230 million years ago, this formation reaches over 100m at its thickest point and is made up of layers of limestone, sandstone, mudstone, siltstone and shale, giving it a dull, greyish-brown color This formation is significant from a paleontological point of view due to the large number of fossils that have been discovered within it. Although no dinosaur remains have yet been discovered within the Jena Formation, research has unearthed many ammonites and other early marine organisms such as bivalves and gastropods. There is hope yet that further notable paleontological discoveries will be found within the Jena Formation, though. The underlying Röt Formation has produced a huge collection of reptile, fish and insect specimens, including early examples of Archosaur – ancestors of modern-day crocodiles! |
| Judith River Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Montana | 4 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $225,000 | x2 x2 x1 Coprolite $40,000 x2 Aquatic Mammal Fossils $130,000 x1 Gold $230,000 x1 $230,000 x1 | The Judith River Formation is situated in Montana and is a unit of the Judith River Group. It underlies the Bearpaw Formation and overlies the Claggett and Pakowki formations. The formation dates to the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous, some 76 million years ago. Its historical significance relates to dinosaur finds by early American paleontologists like Edward Drinker Cope. A wide variety of fauna fossils have been recovered here, including fish, amphibians, crocodilians, lizards and a range of dinosaurs. |
| Jurassic Coast A | Europe ┗ UK ┗ South Coast | 6 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $380,000 | x8 x1 Fungi Fossils $40,000 x6 $40,000 x2 Rhodium $90,000 x1 Buried Treasure $640,000 x1 | The Jurassic Coast formation runs along the south coast of the United Kingdom, spanning almost 100 miles from Devon to Dorset. The formation is home to the celebrated fossil collector Mary Anning, who made a number of discoveries during the 19th Century. The formation dates back around 185 million years and, due to coastal erosion, rock formations from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous have been exposed. Frequent landslides on the coast have unearthed a huge variety of preserved fossils, from amphibians and crocodiles to pterosaurs and dinosaurs. |
| Jurassic Coast B | Europe ┗ UK ┗ South Coast | 10 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $1,120,000 | x4 x8 x3  x2  x4 Fungi Fossils $40,000 x4 Rhodium $90,000 x1 | The Jurassic Coast formation runs along the south coast of the United Kingdom, spanning almost 100 miles from Devon to Dorset. The formation is home to the celebrated fossil collector Mary Anning, who made a number of discoveries during the 19th Century. The formation dates back around 185 million years and, due to coastal erosion, rock formations from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous have been exposed. Frequent landslides on the coast have unearthed a huge variety of preserved fossils, from amphibians and crocodiles to pterosaurs and dinosaurs. |
| Kaiparowits Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Utah | 4 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $48,000 | x4 x3 x2 Cynodont Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 Buried Treasure $640,000 x1 | The Kaiparowits Formation is found in the Kaiparowits Plateau in Southern Utah, and makes up part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, alongside the Grand Staircase and the Canyons of the Escalante. This sedimentary rock formation dates back to the Late Cretaceous period. Even though paleontologists have explored less than a tenth of the formation, it has been the origin of many species, the majority of which were new discoveries. It has been theorized that the reason for this rich diversity is a bountiful dense jungle ecosystem that reduced the need for herbivores - and the carnivores that hunted them - to migrate. This isolation allowed a unique collection of fauna and flora to develop. |
| Kayenta Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Utah | 3 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $95,000 | x3 x3 x2 Arthropod Fossils  $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 Osmium $110,000 x1 $110,000 x1 | The Kayenta Formation is part of the Glen Canyon Group of formations that can be found in the western United States. Spanning Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado, the formation can be up to 120m thick, with the remains of many animals preserved in the rock, from early crocodylomorphs and amphibians to dinosaurs. This formation is most prominent in Utah, where layers of sandstone, limestone and shale have been deposited via streams over millions of years to create vast red and brown cliffs and broken ledges. |
| Kem Kem Beds | Africa ┗ Morocco ┗ Ksar-es-Souk | 11 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $850,000 | Bird Eggs  $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 Dinosaur Eggs $390,000 x2 $390,000 x1 | The Kem Kem Beds can be found in southeastern Morocco, on the Algerian border. It dates back to the Late Cretaceous (100.5-66 Ma), and primarily consists of reddish rock. This formation has come to be known for its wide variety of large carnivorous theropods. Despite the formation's reputation for carnivores, however, it is not necessarily the case that the ecosystems of the time had an unusually high concentration of carnivores living side by side. Theropod teeth are more desirable, and durable, and so appear more plentiful, but in reality these animals could have lived millions of years apart. |
| Kirtland Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ New Mexico | 5 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $300,000 | x1 x1 x2 x5 x3 x2 Turtle Fossils $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 Skin Impressions  $110,000 x1 $110,000 x1 | The Kirtland Formation is located in the San Juan Basin in Colorado and New Mexico. It sits beneath the Ojo Alamo Formation and above the Fruitland Formation. It dates to the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch, 73 million years ago. It was originally named the Kirtland Shale by Bauer in 1916. The formation was formed from alluvial mud and sand deposits from the rivers and streams draining the coastal plain of the Western Interior Seaway. Coal and coal bed methane are also present here. The first ceratopsid bones were unearthed here in 1910 and described by Barnum Brown. Several other expeditions recovered fragmentary remains. In 1997, a major effort by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, and the State Museum of Pennsylvania conducted extensive surveys. The location is the source of a variety of fossils including fish, Pterosaurs and turtles. It is known as one of the latest Cretaceous faunas in south-west North America. |
| La Amarga Formation | South America ┗ Argentina ┗ Zapala | 6 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $51,000 | x4 x3 x1 Shark Fossils $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 | The La Amarga Formation runs along the west coast of Argentina, spanning the provinces Mendoza, Neuquén and Río Negro. The formation is around 160m thick and is composed of three Members - the Puesto Antigual Member, the Bañados de Caichigüe Member and the Piedra Parada Member - made up mostly of sandstone and mudstone. The Puesto Antigual Member is particularly well-known for the number of tetrapod fossils preserved within it - excavation of the area has uncovered genera of stegosaur, diplodocoid and titanosaurian dinosaurs. The La Amarga Formation is overlain by the Lohan Cura Formation and underlain by the marine Agrio Formation, and studies have shown that there was a time during which no sediment was preserved - meaning there is a period in the geological history of the formation which is currently unknown. |
| La Bouchard | Europe ┗ France ┗ Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 4 (Logistics) | 07:30 | $540,000 |  x4  x3  x3 | La Bouchard is situated at the basin of the Arc river in Provence, southern France, and dates back to the late Cretaceous period, around 70-80m years ago. The formation was the site of the discovery of one of the first known raptor species in Europe, the agile predator Pyroraptor, which is believed to have migrated to the area from North America when the two continents were still connected. This formation consists mainly of sandstone and fluvial lacustrine deposits which were carried down the Arc river to the basin, and first came to the attention of palaeontologists in the 1990s, when a forest fire at the foot of Mont Olympe led to a small landslide that exposed the rock formation. Although Pyroraptor is the most famous discovery to have come from La Bouchard, investigation of the site has unearthed various other species including the herbivore Rhabdodon and a number of primitive crocodiles and turtles. |
| La Colonia Formation | South America ┗ Argentina ┗ Chubut Province | 6 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $270,000 | x4 x3 x3 Osmium $110,000 x1 Cephalod Fossils $180,000 x1 $180,000 x1 | The La Colonia Formation is situated in the north of the Chubut province in Argentina and dates back around 70 million years to the Late Cretaceous period. Experts believe the area had a lagoon or coastal plain environment at this time, with a warm climate and defined wet and dry seasons. Prolific paleontologist José Bonaparte made one of Argentina’s most famous dinosaur discoveries here when he unearthed a well preserved and fully articulated skeleton of the fearsome Carnotaurus. The remains recovered made it one of the most complete theropod specimens found in the southern hemisphere at the time of its discovery in 1984, and it is still the only example of this genus discovered. The La Colonia Formation also contains a wide variety of interesting vertebrate fauna, including lizards, snakes, turtles and plesiosaurs. |
| La Huérguina Formation | Europe ┗ Spain ┗ Castilla-La Mancha | 5 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $440,000 | x4 x3 x3 | The La Huérguina Formation dates back around 121-125 million years to the early Cretaceous period, and can be found in central Spain, not far from the city of Cuenca. The formation consists of limestone and marl and reaches 100m at its thickest point, overlying the Tragacete Formation and underlying the Contreras Formation. This formation is notable not just for the number of prehistoric remains unearthed, but their quality. The conditions of the site allow for exceptional preservation of fossils, and many of the specimens recovered from the La Huérguina Formation have been excavated in one piece, with bones arranged in their correct order – making it much easier for experts to hypothesize about how they lived. Perhaps the most important discovery the La Huérguina Formation has provided is the omnivorous dinosaur Pelecanimimus – ‘pelican mimic’ – which was first discovered in 1993. Pelecanimimus is notable for being the first ornithomimosaur to be found in Europe, allowing for a much more detailed understanding of the family. Other genera whose remains have been found in this formation include Concavenator, Iguanodon and the pterosaur Europejara. |
| Lance Formation Site A | North America ┗ USA ┗ Wyoming | 1 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $120,000 | x2 x1 x2 x1 x1 x1 x2 x1 Algal Fossils  $40,000 x2 Iridium $110,000 x1 | The Lance Formation is named after Lance Creek in Wyoming. The formation sits above the Meeteetse Formation and underneath the Fort Union Formation. It dates to the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous, 69 million years ago. It occurs above the ammonite marine zone in Wyoming, dated to 69 million years ago. The formation extends up to the K-Pg extinction event boundary. The formation is comprised mainly of sandstone. The presence of some marine fossils indicate that it was a coastal plain along the Western Interior Seaway. Its climate was likely to have been subtropical with no indications of a cold season. Many thousands of fossils have been recovered from this site, and amphibians, turtles, crocodiles, fish and mammals are present as well as dinosaurs. |
| Lance Formation Site B | North America ┗ USA ┗ Wyoming | 6 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $400,000 | x3 x2 x1 x2 x1 x5 x2 x1 Angiosperm Fossils $40,000 x4 Osmium $110,000 x2 Cephalod Fossils $180,000 x2 | The Lance Formation is named after Lance Creek in Wyoming. The formation sits above the Meeteetse Formation and underneath the Fort Union Formation. It dates to the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous, 69 million years ago. It occurs above the ammonite marine zone in Wyoming, dated to 69 million years ago. The formation extends up to the K-Pg extinction event boundary. The formation is comprised mainly of sandstone. The presence of some marine fossils indicate that it was a coastal plain along the Western Interior Seaway. Its climate was likely to have been subtropical with no indications of a cold season. Many thousands of fossils have been recovered from this site, and amphibians, turtles, crocodiles, fish and mammals are present as well as dinosaurs. |
| Lance Formation Site C | North America ┗ USA ┗ Wyoming | 13 (Logistics) | 08:30 | $2,160,000 | x6 x3 x1 Algal Fossils $40,000 x3 Angiosperm Fossils $40,000 x3 | The Lance Formation is named after Lance Creek in Wyoming. The formation sits above the Meeteetse Formation and underneath the Fort Union Formation. It dates to the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous, 69 million years ago. It occurs above the ammonite marine zone in Wyoming, dated to 69 million years ago. The formation extends up to the K-Pg extinction event boundary. The formation is comprised mainly of sandstone. The presence of some marine fossils indicate that it was a coastal plain along the Western Interior Seaway. Its climate was likely to have been subtropical with no indications of a cold season. Many thousands of fossils have been recovered from this site, and amphibians, turtles, crocodiles, fish, mammals, and turtles are present as well as dinosaurs. |
| Laramie Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Colorado | 5 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $340,000 | x2 x2 x2 x1 x2 Fish Fossils $90,000 x2 $90,000 x1 Amphibian Fossils $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 | The Laramie Formation is in north-eastern Colorado. It underlies the Arapahoe Formation and overlies the Fox Hills Formation. It was named by Clarence King in 1876 for exposures in north-eastern Colorado. The site dates to Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch, 70 million years ago. The formation consists of sandstone, mudstone and clay with the deposits from a coastal plain and swamps on the shore of the Western Interior Seaway. The lower member comprises of sandstone, clay and coal. The upper member features mudstone , sandstone and coal beds. As well as numerous dinosaur finds, the site includes fish, plant, crocodile, turtle and mammal fossils. Significant plant finds have also been found here including fossil pollen for gymnosperms and angiosperm. The shale and sandstones also provide leaf fossils for angiosperms, ferns and palms. Conifer fossils are rare at this site. |
| Lost Burro Gap | North America ┗ USA ┗ California | 4 (Logistics) | 05:00 | $180,000 | x4 x3  x3 | The Lost Burro Gap dates back around 360-380 million years to the Mid-Late Devonian period, and is located in the Mojave desert, California. Primarily made up of sedimentary rock dolomite, the Lost Burro Gap (also known as the Lost Burro Formation) has a rich brown hue and lies between the overlying Tin Mountain Limestone and the underlying Hidden Valley Dolomite formations. Palaeontologists have unearthed a wide array of animals from the Lost Burro Gap, primarily marine life – the remains of various prehistoric fish have been discovered in the formation, including the giant prehistoric fish Dunkleosteus. At up to 10m in length and weighing as much as four tons, Dunkleosteus was the apex predator of this environment during the Late Devonian period. This formation takes its unusual name from the story of a local prospector named Bert Shively, who is said to have discovered a gold mine while searching for his lost burro (a breed of donkey native to the southwestern United States). |
| Lourinhã Formation A | Europe ┗ Portugal ┗ Lourinhã | 2 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $80,000 | x2 x2 Crustacean Fossils $40,000 x1 Ginkgo Fossils $90,000 x1 | The Lourinhã Formation lies on the western coast of Portugal and is named for the municipality where it is located. The formation dates to the Late Jurassic epoch, 150 million years ago. The site contains fauna similar to that found at the Morrison Formation in the United States and the Tendaguru beds in Tanzania. Tide-influenced fluvial and tidal-bore deposits are also present, indicating a coastal environment. A wide range of dinosaur remains have been found here along with fossil tracks and dinosaur eggs. Dinosaur eggs were found in the lower Amoreira-Porto Novo member, Praia Azul member and Bombarral member. Many recovered eggs contained embryonic material, and the Lourinhã Formation has the oldest sauropod and theropod nest with embryos known so far. Insect and mammal remains have also been unearthed. |
| Lourinhã Formation B | Europe ┗ Portugal ┗ Lourinhã | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $640,000 | x2 x2 x2 Crustacean Fossils $40,000 x2 Ginkgo Fossils $90,000 x1 Palladium  $500,000 x1 | Lourinhã Formation A |
| Maastricht Formation | Europe ┗ Netherlands ┗ Maastricht | 13 (Logistics) | 08:30 | $2,280,000 | x2 x1 x2 Rhodium $90,000 x1 $90,000 x2 Shark Fossils $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 | The Maastricht Formation dates back to the Late Cretaceous period, and can be found in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is made up of chalk, marl and flint, and gets its name from the Dutch city of Maastricht, in the south east of the country. A large number of dinosaurs, mosasaurs and mammals have been excavated from the formation, which is made up of seven Members: the Meerssen Member, Nekum Member, Emael Member, Schiepersberg Members, Gronsveld Member, Valkenburg Member and Kunrade Member. The formation lies between the Houthem Formation and the Gulpen Formation, and is believed to be around 66-70 million years old. |
| Mackunda Formation | Australia ┗ Australia ┗ Queensland | 4 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $90,000 | x5 x1 x2 Angiosperm Fossils $40,000 x2 $40,000 x2 $40,000 x2 Cephalod Fossils $180,000 x1 $180,000 x1 $180,000 x2 | The Mackunda Formation is a fossil site in Queensland, Australia. It underlies the Winton Formation and overlies the Oodnadatta, Allaru and Wilgunya Formations. It dates to the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch, 100 million years ago, and is associated with the Winton Formation. The formation comprises of interbedded sand, silt, shale, and calcareous shale. It is a marine deposit having been laid down in a shallow sea. At this time Australia was still connected to the Antarctic and would have suffered dark winters, with the climate being much milder than present day. The region included conifer forests along the coast of the Eromanga inland sea. Vegetation such as conifers are present here and various dinosaur remains have been recovered from this location. |
| Maevarano Formation | Africa ┗ Madagascar ┗ Mahajanga Basin | 6 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $270,000 | x4 x3 x3 Iridium $110,000 x1 Coprolite $40,000 x2 | The Maevarano Formation is located in the Mahajanga Province of north-western Madagascar. It was first explored by Dr. Félix Salètes and his staff officer Landillon in 1895. It dates to the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous, 70 million years ago. It underlies the Berivotra Formation and above the Marovoay Beds . The formation is formed from deposits of sandstone, claystone and siltstone from a semi-arid environment (although with wet seasons) with a bordering sea. It supported broad and shallow rivers and floodplains with plentiful vegetation. The site has proven to be a rich source of fossils including mammals, amphibians, fish, birds, snakes, and crocodylomorphs, mammals, as well as apex predator dinosaurs of their time. Lungfish burrows discovered in the formation provide the first evidence for lungfish in the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. |
| Minchinhampton | Europe ┗ UK ┗ Gloucestershire | 5 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $450,000 | x5 x4 x3 Angiosperm Fossils $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x2 Fungi Fossils $40,000 x2 $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 | Minchinhampton is a small town in Gloucestershire, England near which the only remains, so far discovered, of Proceratosaurus were found. The discovery of a partial skull was made in the opening years of the 20th century during the digging of a new reservoir near the town. The site forms part of the wider Great Oolite Group that underlies large parts of southern England. Proceratosaurus would have roamed on the northern continent of Laurasia during the middle Jurassic, around 168 million years ago. It has recently been classified as one of the oldest known Tyrannosaurids. |
| Morrison Formation A | North America ┗ USA ┗ Colorado | 5 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $80,000 | x1 x1 Chordate Fossils $40,000 x3 | The Morrison Formation was named after Morrison, Colorado where the first fossils were recovered by Arthur Lakes in 1877. The region was one of the key locations for the Bone Wars during the late 19th century. It is a vast area of different layers covering 1.5 million square kilometers and covering Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Elements spread further into other states. It dates to the Late Jurassic epoch, 156 million years ago. The deposits of sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, and limestone formed from rivers and floodplains. There is evidence that large areas were once a dry climate, similar to a savannah, but with ancient plants rather than the more familiar grasses. This is one of the most productive fossil sites in North America. Significant plant fossils have been found, along with insects, fish, crocodiles, lizards and clams. |
| Morrison Formation B | North America ┗ USA ┗ Colorado | 3 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $320,000 | x2 x1 x1 x1 x4 x3 x3 Chordate Fossils $40,000 x6 Osmium $110,000 x1 | Morrison Formation A |
| Morrison Formation C | North America ┗ USA ┗ Colorado | 8 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $640,000 | x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 Rhenium $110,000 x1 Chordate Fossils $40,000 x3 | Morrison Formation A |
| Morrison Formation D | North America ┗ USA ┗ Colorado | 11 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $960,000 | x2 x1 Aquatic Plant Fossils $230,000 x1 $230,000 x1 Rhodium $90,000 x1 | Morrison Formation A |
| Nanxiong Formation | Asia ┗ China ┗ Ganzhou | 10 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $680,000 | x4 x3 x3 Coral Fossils $40,000 x2 Bird Footprints $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 | The Nanxiong Formation in Guangdong Province, China dates back to the Late Cretaceous period around 66m years ago, and is one of the most prolific producers of fossils in the country. The formation is 300m thick and has unearthed many theropod, sauropod and ornithopod specimens as well as the remains of early crocodiles and turtles - although it is best known for the quantity of large carnivores it has preserved. The presence of ferric oxides in the rocks gives them a dark red appearance - these 'red beds' are made up primarily of sandstone, mudstone and siltstone, and overlie the Jurassic granite basement. |
| Navajo Sandstone Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Glen Canyon Group | 1 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $40,000 | x4 x3 x3 | The Navajo Sandstone Formation is part of the Glen Canyon Group and can be found in the south west of the United States, spanning Utah, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona. There is some debate over the exact age of the formation, but experts believe it dates back around 190 to 200 million years to the early Jurassic period. As you might have guessed from the name, the Navajo Sandstone Formation is formed primarily of sandstone - although it also contains limestone and dolomite. The formation is up to 700 metres thick, with a colouring that varies by location due to the different ratios of rock types - from a deep orange-red to a much lighter pink hue. A range of dinosaur genera have been unearthed from the Navajo Sandstone Formation, including the tiny scavenger Segisaurus and the predatory theropod Dilophosaurus. Notable for the two crests on its head (its name translates to ‘two-crested lizard’), Dilophosaurus was the largest genus of dinosaur in North America during this period, at around seven metres in length. |
| Nemegt Formation A | Asia ┗ Mongolia ┗ Gobi Desert | 5 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $180,000 | x1 x1 x5 x1 x1 x1 x2 x1 x4 x1 x2 x3 x3 Algal Fossils $40,000 x1 Fern Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 Platinum $450,000 x1 | The Nemegt Formation (also known as Nemegtskaya Svita) is situated in the Gobi desert in Mongolia. It overlies the Barun Goyot Formation. Although not precisely dated, the formation dates at least as far back as the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous, 70 million years ago. The shales and sandstones of the formation are the remains of streams, rivers, lakes and floodplains. Remains of petrified wood and Araucariaceae conifers suggest the area supported great conifer forests and other vegetation. The sediments suggest a rich environment capable of sustaining abundant life. It was likely to have been a wet environment. Remains of crocodiles, turtles and fish have been discovered here. Egg remains for at least two dinosaur species have been recovered. In 2007 the fossilized footprints of a large sauropod were discovered. |
| Nemegt Formation B | Asia ┗ Mongolia ┗ Gobi Desert | 5 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $360,000 | x7 x1 x12 x2 x1  x9  x2  x1 Algal Fossils $40,000 x3 Fern Fossils $40,000 x2 | Nemegt Formation A |
| Niobrara Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Nebraska | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $960,000 | x1 x1 x1 x4 x3 x3 Conifer Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 Ammonite Fossils $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 | The Niobrara Formation can be found across much of North America and is formed of two Members; the Smoky Hill Chalk Member and the Fort Hays Limestone Member. The formation is made up of chalk and shale deposits that flowed through the Western Interior Seaway, settling over the course of millions of years. The Smoky Hill Chalk Member contains a huge number of fossils dating back to the Late Cretaceous period, when many genera of aquatic animals swam the Western Interior Seaway and avian dinosaurs flew in the skies above it. Non-avian dinosaur remains have also been unearthed from the formation, which researchers believe is the result of carcasses being washed into the sea during floods. |
| Oxford Clay | Europe ┗ UK ┗ Weymouth | 7 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $600,000 | x4 x3 x3 x3 x3 x2 x3 x3 x2 Skin Impressions $110,000 x1 $110,000 x1 Silver $130,000 x1 $130,000 x2 | The Oxford Clay Formation covers much of southeast England, stretching out from Dorset and all the way up to Yorkshire. It contains several Members which date from the middle Callovian to the Oxfordian stages of the Middle and Late Jurassic epochs, 166 and 160 million years ago. It overlies the Kellaways Formation and sits beneath the West Walton Formation. The region records a range of environments, predominantly coastal and marine with mudstone, fissile shale and limestone. Dinosaur eggs have been found here, particularly in the Lower Oxford Clay in Cambridgeshire. Fish and invertebrate fossils are also quite common. Most fossils originate from the upper faces of the Stewartby Member and the Weymouth Member. The abundant marine fossils are likely due to a large part being below sea depth, and with warm and nutrient-rich water that supported a rich ecosystem. The deeper water would have been lacking in oxygen, and so lack in predation on the sea floor allowed more carcasses to become fossils. |
| Pardonet Formation | North America ┗ Canada ┗ British Columbia | 7 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $600,000 | x1 x2 x3 | The Pardonet Formation is one of six divisions that form the Schooler Creek Group in British Columbia, western Canada, and dates back to the late Triassic period around 203-216 million years ago. It reaches a maximum thickness of 137 meters and is made up primarily of limestone and siltstone, giving it a dark brown-grey appearance. This formation is most notable for the 2004 discovery of a new species of giant ichthyosaur which caused great debate in the paleontology community over its correct classification. Initially considered to be from the Shonisaurus genus, the discovery was later reclassified as belonging to the Shastasaurus family and named Shastasaurus sikanniensis, before the original classification was reinstated in 2013. Although it is currently officially recognized as Shonisaurus, experts are still split on the correct classification to this day, but one thing is clear – at more than 20 meters in length, the fossil represents one of the largest marine reptiles ever found, generating much interest in further excavation of the Pardonet Formation. |
| Peay Sandstone Member | North America ┗ USA ┗ Wyoming | 4 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $54,000 | x4 x2 x2 Crustacean Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 Palladium $500,000 x1 | The Peay Sandstone Member is a sub-unit of the Frontier Formation which stretches across north-west Colorado, south-east Idaho, southern Montana, northern Utah and western Wyoming. The member is in the north-east Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. It dates back to the Late Cretaceous epoch, 100 million years ago. The region's deposits are primarily grey sandstone, along with shale (both grey and carbonaceous) and bentonite. The sediments would have been deposited by rivers and streams feeding the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. Some isolated sandstone bodies surrounded by marine mudrock in the Frontier Formation reveal a series of coastal islands. Evidence of waves from this period consolidate this conclusion. Common finds here have been trace fossils, such as Thalassinoides (burrows made from various creatures such as fish or anemones), and Zoophycos (artefacts created by moving and feeding polychaete worms), along with vertebrate teeth. |
| Pierre Shale | North America ┗ USA ┗ Montana | 10 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $960,000 | x3 x2 x5 x1 x1 x1 x9 x2 x1 Coprolite $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x2 Arthropod Fossils $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 | The Pierre Shale Group is found in eastern South Dakota and western Wyoming in the United States of America. During the Cretaceous period, this area would have been part of the Western Interior Seaway, a marine environment. The Pierre is formed out of shale, sandstone, and bentonite. This group has been host to multiple fossil finds, including Pteranodon specimens, and the Cretaceous sea turtle Archelon. |
| Plottier Formation | South America ┗ Argentina ┗ Neuquén Province | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $960,000 | x4 x3 x3 | Found in the Neuquén and Rio Negro regions of Argentina, the Plottier Formation dates back around 85 million years to the late Cretaceous period. The formation, which reaches a thickness of up to 25m, is made up of a combination of claystone and sandstone - lending it a colouring that varies from pale brown to deep orange-red - and is just one of seven formations that make up the Neuquén Group. The fossils of many genera of dinosaurs have been found within the Plottier formation, as well as many other species of animal. The area is particularly famed for the number of titanosaurid remains it has returned - including Notocolossus and Petrobrasauru and the friendly giant Antarctosaurus. At around 30 metres in length and weighing more than 80 tonnes, Antarctosaurus is one of the largest dinosaurs ever to have existed, and the Antarctosaurus giganteus species was recovered from the Plottier Formation - its name doesn’t refer to Antarctica, it means ‘opposite of northern lizard’ in Greek, a reference to its southern location. |
| Prince Creek Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Alaska | 4 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $225,000 | x1 x1 x2 Coral Fossils $40,000 x1 Bird Eggs $130,000 x1 Dinosaur Eggs $390,000 x1 | The Prince Creek Formation is situated in Alaska and dates to the Late Cretaceous, some 78 million years ago. It overlies the Schrader Bluff Formation and sits beneath the Sagavanirktok Formation. The deposits for this formation were formed during a greenhouse phase on a muddy coastal plain. The deposit comprises primarily of sandstone and mudstone, with other elements like siltstone and carbonaceous shale evident. As well as ample flora fossils from trees, mosses and ferns, a a variety of birds and dinosaurs have been recovered here. |
| Red Beds | North America ┗ USA ┗ Texas | 4 (Logistics) | 07:30 | $540,000 | x9 x2 x1 | The Red Beds of Texas and Oklahoma are a range of sedimentary rocks that date back to the early Permian period, around 270-290 million years ago. The beds are famous for housing the remains of many dinosaur genera and get their distinct red colouring from ferric oxide contained within the mudstone that forms part of the strata. Many of the fossils found within the Red Beds are believed to have been left following a major event that led to the death of many dinosaurs at once. Excavation of the Geraldine Bonebed in the Wichita Formation, Texas led to the discovery of Dimetrodon, Bolosaurus and Edaphosaurus, as well as many species of marine animals and plant life, all of which date back to the early Permian period. The site, which spans large parts of south-western USA, was a favourite dig location of Edward Drinker Cope, the world-renowned palaeontologist. Cope famously discovered over 1,000 species, including at least 56 dinosaurs, throughout his life – many of these were found within the Red Beds, and Cope was the first expert to study the area. |
| Romualdo Formation | South America ┗ Brazil ┗ Ceara | 5 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $380,000 |  x9  x8  x3 x1 x3 x1 x4 x3 x3 x1 x3 x1 Fern Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x2 Snake Fossils $90,000 x2 $90,000 x1 Palladium $500,000 x1 | The Romualdo Formation in the north-east of Brazil is part of the Santana Group, and consists of layers of mudstone, limestone and shale dating back to the Early Cretaceous period. There has been much debate about the exact age of the Romualdo Formation, but general consensus suggests it dates back around 112 million years. The formation's unique taphonomy has provided some of the most well-preserved fossils ever found, including not just bones but softer remains as well. A wide array of genera have been discovered in the Romualdo formation, including numerous dinosaurs and pterosaurs - and the preserved stomach contents of fish fossils have allowed researchers to study not only individual genera, but their relationships with one another. |
| Scollard Formation A | North America ┗ Canada ┗ Alberta | 5 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $160,000 | x1 x1 x1 x1 x2 Conifer Fossils $40,000 x2 Ammonite Fossils $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 Dinosaur Footprints $230,000 x1 | The Scollard Formation is part of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in south-western Alberta. The formation’s name is derived from the Scollard Canyon in Buffalo Jump Provincial Park. It lies beneath the Paskapoo Formation (until more recently considered as the uppermost member of the Edmonton Group) and above Battle Formation. It dates to the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous period, and Danian age of the Paleogene, 70 and 66 million years ago. Deposits from the time of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event can be found here, meaning that the lower member records the end of the dinosaurs, and the upper member the dawn of mammals. This formation consists of sandstone, shale, and siltstones. Mudstones and coal seams are also present, as well as bentonite clays. The site has revealed several dinosaur species, a few mammal specimens, and plant fossils including ferns and conifers. |
| Scollard Formation B | North America ┗ Canada ┗ Alberta | 10 (Logistics) | 08:30 | $1,600,000 | x2 x2 x2 Conifer Fossils $40,000 x1 Dinosaur Footprints $230,000 x1 | Scollard Formation A |
| Shishugou Formation | Asia ┗ China ┗ Xinjiang | 4 (Logistics) | 05:00 | $180,000 | x4 x3 x3 x4 x3 x3 | The Shishugou Formation in Xinjiang, China dates back around 155-165 million years to the Late Jurassic period. The formation is made up of mudstone, sandstone, siltstone and even ash from nearby volcanoes, and is famous for the wide variety of dinosaur fossils that have been found within it. Many sauropod, theropod and pterosaur specimens have been recovered from the Shishugou formation, as well as those of primitive crocodilians and amphibians. This formation is notable for its ‘death pits’ – beds featuring large numbers of dinosaur fossils tightly packed together. Researchers believe these traps were caused by large dinosaurs wallowing, creating dense mud that smaller dinosaurs such as Limusaurus were unable to escape from. The remains of more than 600 specimens have been recovered from the Shishugou Formation. Many of these discoveries were made by the esteemed paleontologist Yang Zhongjian, including the first known examples of Monolophosaurus, Tsintaosaurus, and Mamenchisaurus, as well as the proceratosaurid Guanlong – an ancestor of the most famous dinosaur of all, Tyrannosaurus rex. |
| Shishuguo Formation | Asia ┗ China ┗ Xinjiang | 6 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $380,000 | The Shishugou Formation dates back about 160 million years to the late Jurassic period, and is famous for the abundance of theropod fossils held within it. The formation is located in Xinjiang, in the north-west of China, and is made primarily of mudstone that gives it a reddish hue. It lies between the underlying Kalaza Formation and the overlying Xishanyao Formation. This formation is famed for so-called ‘death traps’ found throughout - pits of mudstone and sandstone containing a large number of dinosaur fossils. Experts believe that these are the result of large dinosaurs gradually wearing away the soft soil beneath them, with smaller dinosaurs then unable to climb out. A wide variety of dinosaur genera have been recovered from the Shishugou Formation. Theropods and sauropods are especially well-represented - notable examples include the theropods Monolophosaurus and Zuolong and the sauropod Mamenchisaurus - one of the largest dinosaurs ever to have existed, at over 35 metres long. | |
| Sidi Daoui | Africa ┗ Morocco ┗ Khouribga | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $960,000 | x3 x4 x3 | The city of Khouribga in Morocco, North Africa is famous for its huge phosphate reserves, containing around 44% of the country’s phosphate. One of its phosphate mines, Sidi Daoui, has shown itself to be the site of a diverse array of prehistoric fossils. The rock formation dates back around 66-70 million years to the late Cretaceous period and is composed primarily of grey limestone. It is known for the diversity of the paleofauna excavated from the limestone, with 200 specimens of seven different genera of pterosaur recovered over the years – the largest and most diverse collection of late Cretaceous pterosaurs ever found. Research conducted by Nick Longrich, David Martill and Brian Andres led to the discovery of the first Barbaridactylus, a pterosaur with a wingspan of around 5m and a long beak that allows it to grab fish and other marine reptiles from bodies of water. |
| Smokejack Clay Pit | Europe ┗ UK ┗ Surrey | 6 (Logistics) | 04:00 | $270,000 | x2 x2 x2 Bird Eggs $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 | The Smokejack Clay Pit is located in Surrey, England and exposes part of the lower Weald Clay Group, which spreads across much of southern England and dates to the Early Cretaceous period. The site came to prominence in 1983, when the chance find of a large claw by fossil hunter William Walker led to the uncovering of one of the most complete dinosaur specimens ever found in the United Kingdom. This new species was named Baryonyx walkeri after its heavy claw and the man who made the initial find. It was also one of the best examples of a spinosaurid found anywhere in the world, informing the study of similar dinosaurs including Suchomimus. The site also serves as one of the best Weald Clay sites for reptile finds, preserving a wide array of crocodile teeth and coprolites. Other specimens excavated from the site include sharks, fish, insects and molluscs. An indeterminate large theropod tooth was recently found here, suggesting that further investigation of the Smokejack Clay Pit could provide further valuable finds. |
| Smoky Hill Chalk | North America ┗ USA ┗ Kansas | 10 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $640,000 | x4 x3 x3 x1 x1 Chordate Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x2 Turtle Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 | The Smoky Hill Chalk Member and the Fort Hays Limestone Member combined make up the Niobrara Formation, a Late Cretaceous period chalk formation that has been the origin of many Pteranodon discoveries. At the time it formed this area would have been deep and remote ocean not close to any land. As a result of this remoteness, most fossils found in the Niobrara chalk are marine reptiles such as mosasaurs. Still, some non-avian dinosaurs have been discovered. It is theorized that these dinosaurs were carried by floodwaters and currents to the open ocean. |
| Solnhofen Formation | Europe ┗ Germany ┗ Kelheim | 5 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $570,000 | x2 x2 x1 Snake Fossils $90,000 x1 Opalised Fossils $130,000 x1 | The Solnhofen Formation is found in modern day Bavaria in Germany, and is composed mainly of limestone. Multiple specimens have been uncovered in this area, often unintentionally in quarries. This Jurassic rock represents a coastal environment featuring multiple salt water lagoons, which have preserved many fragile organisms that may have otherwise been destroyed by scavengers. |
| Taynton Limestone Formation | Europe ┗ UK ┗ Oxfordshire | 11 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $850,000 | x4 x3 x3 Crurotarsans Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x2 Fish Fossils $90,000 x1 | The Taynton Limestone Formation in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom is famous for the rich variety of dinosaur fossils preserved within it - including the world's earliest named non-avian dinosaur, Megalosaurus. The formation is made up mainly of limestone, sandstone and marl, dating back to the Middle Jurassic period approximately 170m years ago. Sitting between the Hampen and Rutland Formations and the Fuller's Earth, Sharp's Hill and Horsehay Sand Formations, the Taynton Limestone Formation is home to many other fossils, including early mammals and fish. |
| Tegama Beds | Africa ┗ Niger ┗ Tenere Desert | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $840,000 | x4 x3 x3 x5 x4 x3 x4 x3 x3 Coprolite $40,000 x2 $40,000 x1 Arthropod Fossils $90,000 x1 $90,000 x1 Gold $230,000 x2 | The Tegama Beds are a component within the Elrhaz Formation near Agadez in Niger. It dates to the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch, 120 million years ago. It is primarily formed from coarse sandstone. The region would once have been a lush and swampy environment. The site is most famous for the discovery of Suchomimus, a large spinosaurid dinosaur. The holotype for this species was recovered here by Paul Sereno in 1988. The area also holds fossilized plants, invertebrate and vertebrate (such as dinosaur and crocodylomorph) remains. Most of the vertebrate remains lie in the basal channel log deposits. |
| Tendaguru Formation | Africa ┗ Tanzania ┗ Mkoa wa Mtwara | 4 (Logistics) | 02:30 | $38,000 | x3 x3 x2 Crurotarsans Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 | The Tendaguru Formation is located in Tanzania and fossils were first discovered there by Bernhard Wilhelm Sattler in 1906. It dates to the Late Jurassic epoch, 150 million years ago. It was named for Tendaguru Hill where bones were first identified. This is one of the largest known Late Jurassic rock formations. The formation is of terrestrial origin, with sandstone and shale deposits. It was most likely a semi-arid environment with waterways, rivers and pools. There was extensive vegetation there with ferns, cycads and conifers present. The climate would have become more humid as the Cretaceous period approached. It is considered an analogous site to that of the Morrison Formation in North America, mainly because of similarities in species and diversity. Dinosaur eggs and fossils have been recovered from this site. |
| Tiaojishan Formation | Asia ┗ China ┗ Liaoning | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $820,000 | x8 x1 | Located in the Hebei and Liaoning provinces of northern China, the Tiaojishan Formation is a geological formation known for being a prolific source of dinosaur remains. The formation dates back around 153-165 million years to the mid-late Jurassic period, and is made up primarily of andesite, a volcanic rock that lends the formation a grey coloring. Reaching a thickness of 2,420m, this formation is overlain by the Tuchengzi and Houcheng Formations and underlain by the Haifanggou Formation. The Tiaojishan Formation is famed for the quality of its fossils as much as its quantity – excavations of the site frequently lead to the unearthing of near-perfect skeletons, with a wide array of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, lizards, cynodonts and arthropods found in excellent condition. The pterosaur Jeholopterus was discovered within this formation, while other genera found at this site include the heterodontosaur Tianyulong and a number of bird-like dinosaurs called anchiornithids. Including Anchiornis, Xiaotingia and Aurornis. Experts believe that the region would have had a warm, humid climate during the mid-Jurassic period, ideal conditions for a diverse range of fauna to thrive. |
| Toolebuc Formation | Australia ┗ Australia ┗ Queensland | 4 (Logistics) | 07:30 | $540,000 | x4 x3 x3 Fish Fossils $90,000 x1 Turtle Fossils $40,000 x1 $40,000 x1 Shark Fossils $130,000 x1 | The Toolebuc Formation is a geological formation that dates back to the Early Cretaceous, and is primarily composed of limestone. The formation is situated in modern day Queensland, a state situated in Northeastern Australia. The town of Hughenden in Queensland hosts the Hughenden Dinosaur Festival, which commemorates the large number of fossils discovered, in part due to the lack of vegetation caused by its dry climate. |
| Tugulu Group | Asia ┗ China ┗ Xinjiang | 4 (Logistics) | 05:00 | $180,000 | x4 x3 x3 x4 x3 x3 Dinosaur Footprints $230,000 x4 $230,000 x2 $230,000 x1 | The Tugulu Group is situated in northwest China, near the Mongolian border, and dates to the Cretaceous period. The group overlies the Kalaza Formation which dates to the Jurassic period. A number of skeletal remains and footprints have been discovered here, including land dinosaurs, protosuchians, and pterosaurs. At the time, this area would have been a swampy or riparian environment. |
| Twin Mountains Formation | North America ┗ USA ┗ Texas | 11 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $1,100,000 | x3 x2 Amphibian Fossils $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 $130,000 x1 Dinosaur Footprints $230,000 x1 $230,000 x1 $230,000 x1 | The Twin Mountains Formation is situated in northern Texas, forming part of the Trinity Group of strata which spreads under 5 other states in the USA. The formation largely consists of sands, clays and conglomerates. Its name is derived from two small peaks near the city of Stephenville in Texas and the formation is around 50m thick in that area. It underlies parts of the Glen Rose Formation in which a famous set of dinosaur footprints were discovered. The formation dates to the Early Cretaceous period around 115 million years ago and has produced a number of indeterminate sauropod and theropod remains along with a partial skeleton of Acrocanthosaurus. |
| Udurchukan Formation | Asia ┗ Russia ┗ Amur Oblast | 6 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $510,000 | x4 x3 x3 Algal Fossils $40,000 x2 $40,000 x2 | The Udurchukan Formation forms part of the Tsagayan Group in south-eastern Russia. It underlies the Bureya Formation and sits upon the Kundur Formation. It dates from the Maastrichtian age of the Upper Cretaceous, 66-72 million years ago. The formation comprises mainly of mudstone, conglomerate sedimentary rock, along with sand. The area’s bone beds are best known for the hadrosaurid finds from a variety of species. |
| Vossenveld Formation | Europe ┗ Netherlands ┗ Gelderland | 4 (Logistics) | 07:30 | $540,000 | x6 x1 | The Vossenveld Formation is part of the Lower Muschelkalk sequence that stretches across much of western Europe and can be found in the small town of Winterswijk in the east of the Netherlands, near to the border with Germany. It dates back to the mid-Triassic period, around 242-247 million years ago. This formation is made up primarily of limestone and mudstone, and is notable for the incredible variety of fauna and flora contained within in it – the remains of various prehistoric reptiles, fish, amphibians, insects and plants have all been found within the Vossenveld Formation. Some of the most commonly found fossils belong to the Pachypleurosauria and Nothosauridae families, early aquatic reptiles with a similar appearance to modern-day marine lizards. Pachypleurosauria can grow to a length of around one meter, with paddle limbs and a long tail that aid swimming – a crucial defense against predators - while Nothosauridae are much bigger, growing up to three meters long. |
| Winton Formation | Australia ┗ Australia ┗ Queensland | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $840,000 | x4 x3 x3 | The Winton Formation forms part of the Rolling Downs Group in eastern Australia and is notable for its diverse fossil content. A wide range of crocodyliformes and pterosaurs have been unearthed from the formation, as well as dinosaurs such Diamantinasaurus, Savannasaurus and Australovenator. In fact, there is even a dinosaur named after the site – the titanosaur Wintonotitan, which weighed between 10 and 15 tons. Wintonotitan was discovered by local landowner Keith Watts, who unearthed fossils including a shoulder blade, numerous vertebrae and part of a hip. This find was particularly significant, as it was only the second Cretaceous sauropod to be discovered in Australia. This formation dates back to the Cretaceous period around 95-98 million years ago, and is made of sandstone, claystone and siltstone. Over 400m thick in certain parts, researchers believe that a major river must have passed through the Winton Formation to leave so much sediment. As well as a range of paleofauna, the Winton Formation was home to many different florae, from tree ferns and conifers to flowering plants such as Angiospermae. |
| Xingezhuang Formation | Asia ┗ China ┗ Zhucheng | 8 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $1,080,000 | x5 x4 x3 Skin Impressions $110,000 x1 $110,000 x2 Silver $130,000 x2 | The Xingezhuang Formation is situated in the province of Shandong near the city of Zhucheng. It is part of the Wangshi Group which dates to the Late Cretaceous. A partial skull and frill of a new genus, Sinoceratops, was found here along with two different hadrosaurs and a tyrannosaurid. Sinoceratops is the only confirmed ceratopsid found so far in China. Dinosaurs found at this site are likely to have lived in a landscape of rivers, floodplains and alluvial fans. |
| Yixian Formation | Asia ┗ China ┗ Liaoning | 4 (Logistics) | 07:50 | $570,000 | x3 x3 x2 x4 x3 x3 | The Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province, north-eastern China dates back around 125 million years to the early Cretaceous period and is famous in the paleontology community for the quality of the specimens found within. It is made up primarily of basalt and sits between the Jiufotang Formation above and the Dabeigou and Tuchengzi Formations below. The dinosaur remains recovered from the formation are often very well preserved, which experts attribute to a limnic eruption - an extremely rare form of natural disaster in which animals are suffocated by a cloud of poisonous carbon dioxide erupting from a deep lake, which creates excellent conditions for fossil preservation. The formation is home to a huge number of dinosaur specimens of all shapes and sizes, from the large predator tyrannosauroid Yutyrannus to the tiny feathered compsognathid Sinosauropteryx. The remains of sauropods, theropods and ornithischians have been recovered from the Yixian Formation, as well as many pterosaurs, reptiles, mammals, fish and various flora – a diversity of fossils that makes it a popular location for paleontological digs. |
| Yuliangze Formation | Asia ┗ China ┗ Heilongjiang | 7 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $1,400,000 | x7 x5 x4 x4 x3 x3 Arthropod Fossils $90,000 x5 $90,000 x1 Osmium $110,000 x1 $110,000 x1 | The Yuliangze Formation (also known as the Yuliangzi Formation) is located near Heilongjiang in China. It underlies the Taipinglinchang Formation and dates to the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous epoch, 69 million years ago. Jiayin and Wulaga are two particularly rich fossil sites within this formation. The formation comprises mainly of sandstone and mudstone with fluvial deposits. Some conglomerate is also present. These indicate waterways or lakes and ponds. Coarse channel fills also suggest rivers. Dinosaur fossils in this region are dominated by hadrosaurs, but other remains have been retrieved. |
| Ziliujing Formation A | Asia ┗ China ┗ Dashanpu | 6 (Logistics) | 05:30 | $425,000 | x4 x3 x3 x4 x3 x3 Crustacean Fossils $40,000 x2 Shark Fossils $130,000 x2 Palladium $500,000 x1 | The Ziliujing Formation is a sub-unit of the Dashanpu Formation in China and located in the Zigui Basin. The site was first discovered to contain fossils in the 1970s and it dates back to the Middle to Late Jurassic epochs, 168 million years ago. An assemblage of 300 theropod and sauropod footprints were found in a region of what was likely to have been a tropical freshwater lake. In 1977, a dinosaur specimen was extracted that could be a possible evolutionary link between prosauropod and sauropod. The region was once a dense forest and likely contained a large river that fed into a lake. Fossils including amphibians, turtles, marine reptiles and fish were discovered here. |
| Ziliujing Formation B | Asia ┗ China ┗ Dashanpu | 6 (Logistics) | 07:00 | $850,000 | x5 x4 x3 x7 x5 x4 Crustacean Fossils $40,000 x6 Palladium $500,000 x1 | Ziliujing Formation A |