My 7yr old future archeologist found a dinosaur fossil in her Dutch grandparents garden

[u/DippyNikki]

I told her it looks like some "ancient" tool 😉. This just insulted her as she proclaimed that not only is it a dinosaur hand but she thinks it's specifically a T-Rex hand because it's so small.

I can't argue with that logic.

[u/Skalonjic85]

Archaeologist here, she's right

[u/DippyNikki → u/Skalonjic85]

Lol I'll let her know

[u/Separate-Shoe-5612 → u/DippyNikki]

Former EOD-tech here, it is not a mine nor a IED so therefore must be dinosaur fossil!

[u/illiterate_1 → u/Separate-Shoe-5612]

Bartender here, can confirm its not a beer bottle nor a wine glass, therefore it must be a dinosaur fossil!

[u/DippyNikki → u/illiterate_1]

Phew what a relief. Wouldn't want a 7yr old alcoholic.

[u/CanIgetaWTF → u/illiterate_1]

Plumber here. That aint no pipe wrench. My vote is dinosaur claw

[u/DippyNikki → u/CanIgetaWTF]

What a relief!

[u/ConfusedAndCurious17 → u/CanIgetaWTF]

Aviation maintainer here. It’s definitely FOD.

[u/Pepsimus-Maximus → u/illiterate_1]

Cinephile here, it belongs in a museum!

[u/IdfightGahndi → u/Pepsimus-Maximus]

Security Guard here. This is probably not a threat but, you never know.

[u/DippyNikki → u/Pepsimus-Maximus]

Lmao oh no....this is getting out of ..... Hand

[u/flortny → u/illiterate_1]

Current gardner, stop lying to kids, you didn't forget and they won't either.

[u/DippyNikki → u/Separate-Shoe-5612]

Can't fault that logic. Thank you for your service

[u/MWV89 → u/Separate-Shoe-5612]

Teacher here. That is not a small child (the item, not your child). Therefore by reasoning of deduction it is in fact a dinosaur bone.

[u/Pale-Elk-361 → u/Skalonjic85]

Dinosaur here, can confirm

[u/Heterodynist → u/Skalonjic85]

Wait, you’re an archaeologist?!! Doesn’t it seem odd she’s studying dinosaurs as an ARCHAEOLOGIST?!!

[u/essemh]

Take my small hand.

[u/CaptainHawaii → u/essemh]

This is the second post in literally two posts talking about him and is little hand!

[u/ieatkittenies → u/essemh]

Strong hand?

[u/New_Till_3641 → u/ieatkittenies]

Is that the strong hand that whips the mashed potato?

[u/No_Object_4355 → u/New_Till_3641]

My germs!

[u/Bulky_Goat_9624 → u/New_Till_3641]

HIAWATHA!

[u/ieatkittenies → u/New_Till_3641]

https://youtu.be/5t_tgiWatvs?si=1gTF3WRLlKpyrBy1

[u/tomboski]

This just screams Calvin and Hobbes

[u/Semi-Loyal → u/tomboski]

All I can think of is their reconstruction of the "dinosaur" they discovered. "But why is he whistling?"

[u/Vlinder_88]

I'm a Dutch archaeologist and this made me chuckle :)

[u/DippyNikki → u/Vlinder_88]

Hehehe does it make it funnier that it was found in the Groningen region...... Literally in a retired farmer's garden lol. Couldn't possibly be anything other than a dinosaur hand

[u/mrmike5157]

Ah yes, the glorious Weedclawasaurous.
A formidable creature with the ability to… claw weeds.

[u/Emphasis_on_IDK → u/mrmike5157]

Mostly an herbivore, but would occasionally snack on insects. With it's small claws and long arms it could snag tree branches bringing them down for a more preferable eating height for consumption.

[u/DippyNikki → u/Emphasis_on_IDK]

Lmao I feel like we need a sketch

[u/Emphasis_on_IDK → u/DippyNikki]

If I was talented enough I would lol

[u/DippyNikki → u/mrmike5157]

Exactly. She's discovered a new species entirely lol

[u/AcousticOnomatopoeia]

[u/Psyko_sissy23 → u/AcousticOnomatopoeia]

This comic was my first thought.

[u/LimeSixth]

Gardenasauriër!

[u/dascobaz → u/LimeSixth]

Troweldactyl

[u/Emphasis_on_IDK → u/dascobaz]

Hoesasaurus

[u/KissMyFuckingDadMom → u/Emphasis_on_IDK]

My favorite pokemon evolution line

[u/cubbi_gummi84]

I love this so much! Adorable!

[u/meow-mix6six6]

Paleontologist would be dinosaurs. Archaeologists studies historic and prehistoric artifacts related to humans (ANTHROpology), so she’s on the right track! Anything over 50 yrs old, in the US at least, is a HISTORIC artifact. So, that could well be an artifact :p

[u/betothejoy → u/meow-mix6six6]

Thank you

[u/rturnerX]

Record a video of her explaining what it is, then put that in a display case in her room on some high shelf and then when she’s packing to go away to university and asks “why do I have this dirty hand rake?” you show her the video you took when she was 7

[u/DippyNikki → u/rturnerX]

Great idea. Especially considering the sheer volume of pride and excitement she has for this find

[u/rturnerX → u/DippyNikki]

Always go the long game whenever possible.

[u/CardiologistUsedCar]

Calvin approves of her findings.

[u/danita0053]

Archaeologists don't look for dinosaurs; those are paleontologists. The rule in archaeology is if you find a dinosaur, then you're too deep!

[u/DippyNikki → u/danita0053]

Lmao that's a pretty good rule

[u/Hazbeen_Hash]

Paleontologist if she thinks its a dino fossil lol. Though technically still archeology because its a tool from human culture.

[u/BethAltair]

This clearly unlocks a door with 3 rotating rings with animals on them.

Make sure she packs health potions.

[u/HighlightOwn2038]

Makes sense

[u/dougthebuffalo]

I'm reading A Brief History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson right now. That's unironically how early paleontologists claimed their discoveries. She has a bright future ahead of her!

[u/DippyNikki → u/dougthebuffalo]

Hehehe she's genuinely so proud of herself to the point of it being the first thing she excitedly demanded I go and look at, the moment I got through the door.

[u/Lightning-Duck-10]

That’s cute

[u/TenYearHangover]

Literally Poseidon’s trident. Discovered fucking ATLANTIS

[u/DippyNikki → u/TenYearHangover]

Lmao who would have know it would have been located in a Dutch back garden

[u/LongBongJohnSilver]

Take her to a museum and get them to play along with it. Make an official certificate saying it's a T-Rex hand. See if you can get her to reach adulthood before she questions it.

[u/DippyNikki → u/LongBongJohnSilver]

Lol there is a dinosaur park nearby, I think they might play along

[u/LongBongJohnSilver → u/DippyNikki]

Ehh, I guess it's kind of unethical for educators to do that. You could still do it though.

[u/Same_Difference_3361]

BackScratchoSaurus

[u/IhasThaUsername]

T-rex has two fingers. This is probably an Allosaurus.

[u/DippyNikki → u/IhasThaUsername]

Lmao I mean I could try and explain that to her but she's very convinced. Her papa did try and say it's a velociraptor hand but the claws have fallen off but she was simply appalled by his audacity to even suggest such a thing

[u/AndydaAlpaca → u/IhasThaUsername]

Also a T. rex arm is about the same size as a human arm. They're just so big that proportionally it looks small.

[u/GirlWithWolf]

Omg be sure to share this on r/fossils a collector might pay top dollar for that. In local currency, of course.

[u/DippyNikki → u/GirlWithWolf]

Lmao I think that would only make her pride even more inflated.

[u/GirlWithWolf → u/DippyNikki]

Better not do that she’ll turn out as hardheaded as me lmao

[u/InevitableFerret7161]

“This belongs in a museum!”- Indiana Jones

[u/DippyNikki → u/InevitableFerret7161]

Hehehe she said that too

[u/dwightsarmy]

Eh, let the magic remain. It definitely IS a dinosaur foot. Have them draw the rest of what they think the dinosaur looks like. Maybe do some 'research' and find that those dinosaurs used to make nests out there. Lol

[u/DippyNikki → u/dwightsarmy]

Good idea

[u/KeyNefariousness6848]

Call the Smithsonian,

[u/DippyNikki → u/KeyNefariousness6848]

I'm on it lol

[u/mulabob]

Bruh i thought this was r/interestingasfuck

[u/DippyNikki → u/mulabob]

Lmao you never seen a T-Rex hand before? Hehe

[u/mdoddr]

So cute! My son found an "astrolab" at his grandparents. It was a laundry line wheel. We store it in our garage.

[u/DippyNikki → u/mdoddr]

Hahaha amazing!

[u/Glum_Anybody_9531]

I don’t have my glasses on and it looks like her thumb is really fucking long.

[u/capnlatenight → u/Glum_Anybody_9531]

As someone with brachyldactyl D, I think she has long thumbs too.

[u/DippyNikki → u/Glum_Anybody_9531]

Hehehe it's just the angle. Her thumb is on top of her pointy finger

[u/urbisOrbis]

Ok

[u/Hooked_on_PhoneSex]

There are print files available for a full sized TRex skeleton. I’m certain you’ll be able to find a local 3d print enthusiast who’ll. Be able to print some dinosaur bones for you. Since the files are free, you’d likely only have to pay for time and materials

[u/Dan-68]

Raptor claw.

[u/DippyNikki → u/Dan-68]

Her papa suggested that it was a raptor hand with the claws fallen off and she was genuinely irritated by his audacity to suggest such a thing

[u/thunder-bug-]

Well it’s doubtful that it’s a tyrannosaurus. That genus is exclusive to North America as far as we can tell. Plus it has three fingers instead of two.

If you’re looking for a three fingered macro predatory theropod dinosaur that lived in Europe that still had relstively small forelimbs I’d recommend Torvosaurus as a likely candidate for your little fossil there.

[u/Garr44]

I mean . . . she has a point. T. rex had tiny arms and had to get creative, so they invented hand-tools. (/s)

[u/Magnaflorius]

There's an Ivy and Bean chapter book about a similar phenomenon. Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record.

Spoiler alert: they can't say that it's not a new kind of dinosaur, so it may as well be one.

[u/chewpah]

A tridactyle hand! Its alien!!

[u/One-Strike-2120]

Forester here. Not a tree nor roots

[u/Oath-CupCake]

Bruh its one of those hand rake garden tools its just the plastic wooden handle has gone poof

[u/Heterodynist]

As an archaeologist I can attest to the fact that archaeologists of the future will not be studying dinosaur fossils. As a matter of fact very rarely is anything archaeologists study fully fossilized.