Photo: American Fossil/Facebook

Watch: This TikToker Found a Fossil Worth $15,000 in Wyoming

News Archaeology
by Olivia Harden Sep 3, 2021

One trip to Wyoming, and you’re on your way to becoming a paleontologist. The American Fossil dig in Kemmerer, Wyoming, is an open section of the South Dempsey Quarry and is the only place in the world that allows you to dig and keep every fossil you find.

The South Dempsey Quarry is located in the Green River Formation, which is in present-day Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, according to the University of California, Berkeley’s Museum of Paleontology.

The top layer of rock in this quarry contains the most extensive record of fossilized freshwater fish in North America. Other finds including birds, mammals, plants, and reptiles.

Entertainer Danny Wolverton documented his dig on TikTok and found several 52 million-year-old fossils, including different fish and a rare bat worth $15,000. At the end, the video shows the slabs of rock containing the fossils being cut out so visitors can take them home.

@special_head

Go to the American Fossil Quarry #fossilhunting #dinosaurs #fypシ #tiktoktravel #TalkCurlyToMe

♬ The Banjo Beat, Pt. 1 – Ricky Desktop

The cost of digging for fossils at the American Fossil dig starts at $39 for one hour. For a private full-day digging session, the price can go as high as $500. You can book your digging session online, or just walk in from 8 AM to 5 PM daily. But hurry! The season ends on September 30.

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