2.2" Diplomystus Dentatus Fossil Fish Green River FM WY Eocene Age COA, Stand

Location: Kemmerer, Wyoming

Weight: 4.9 Ounces

Dimensions: 3.5 Inches Long, 2.4 Inches Wide, 0.5 Inches Thick (Plate)

Fish Dimensions: 2.2 Inches Long, 0.8 Inches Wide

Comes with a Free Stand.

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

The item pictured is the one you will receive.

This is a genuine fossil.

56 million years old, Eocene age.

Diplomystus Dentatus morphology, including its upturned mouth, is typical of a surface-feeding fish. The genus is herrings that likely fed on small surface-dwelling fish, as Knightia is evidenced by numerous fossils found with Knightia in the stomach or mouth.

Approximately fifty million years ago, Fossil Lake occupied the region now known as southwestern Wyoming. From its estimated peak size of 930 square miles, about 500 square miles of sediment deposits remain intact. Within this, the central 230 square miles of the ancient lakebed contain exceptionally fossil-rich sediments and notable geological features such as deltas, beaches, springs, and rocks formed in both the central basin and nearshore zones.

The unique chemical makeup of the fossil lake stopped dead organisms from decaying or being scavenged, while very thin layers of alternating limestone gradually built up. This created laminated limestone rich with the highest number of fossil fish found anywhere. These fish, along with other aquatic creatures and geological features, make Fossil Lake an outstanding example of the freshwater lake ecosystem during the Paleogene period.

Since the discovery in the 1870s, many perfectly preserved fossil fish have been recovered. Preserved with the fish in the laminated limestone is a complete aquatic ecosystem: cyanobacteria, plants, insects, crustaceans (shrimp, crawfish, and ostracods), amphibians (frog and primitive salamander), alligators, turtles, birds, and mammals, including the oldest pantolestid (otter-like animal). The subtropical terrestrial ecosystem surrounding the lake is also represented by rare fossils, including a horse, two snakes, lizards, two bat species, birds, an apatemyid (an arboreal insectivore), a minced (a primitive carnivore), insects, and more than 325 types of leaves, seeds, and flowers.

Please be aware of the nature of fossils:

Being buried under the ground for millions of years under tons of pressure tends to be rough. No fossil comes out of the ground whole and perfect. Most fossils have undergone some restoration, while others are altered by man, simply to enhance their presentation in different ways. These are part of the natural beauty of the fossil and are not considered defects.