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

Location: Kemmerer, Wyoming

Weight: 10.7 Ounces

Dimensions: 5.5 Inches Long, 4.5 Inches Wide, 0.4 Inches Thick (Plate)

Fish Dimensions: 2.9 Inches Long, 1.2 Inches Wide

Comes with a Free Stand.

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

The item pictured is the one you will receive.

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.

Fifty million years ago, ancient Fossil Lake existed in what is now southwest Wyoming. Of its estimated maximum extent of 930 square miles, approximately 500 square miles of sediment remains. The 230 square miles across the center of the ancient lake-bed contain exceptionally fossiliferous sediments and associated geologic features, including deltas, beaches, springs, and rocks from the center and nearshore environments.

The fossil lake’s distinctive chemistry halted decomposition and scavenging, while successive thin layers of limestone formed over time. This process created laminated limestone rich in the world’s highest concentration of fossil fish. Alongside these fish, Fossil Lake presents an unparalleled Paleogene record of a freshwater lake ecosystem. Since its discovery in the 1870s, numerous exquisitely preserved fossil fish have been found. The laminated limestone also captures an entire aquatic community, including cyanobacteria, plants, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals such as the earliest pantolestid. Surrounding this lake, the subtropical terrestrial environment is evidenced by rare fossils like horses, snakes, bats, diverse insects, and over 325 varieties 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.