3.5" Knightia Eocaena Fossil Fish Green River FM Wyoming Eocene Age COA & Stand
Location: Kemmerer, Wyoming
Weight: 8.6 Ounces
Dimensions: 6.2 Inches Long, 3.2 Inches Wide, 0.4 Inches Thick (Plate)
Fish Dimensions: 3.5 Inches Long, 1.1 Inches Wide
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Comes with a Free Stand.
The item pictured is the one you will receive.
50 million years old, Eocene age
Knightia Eocaena isn’t just any fossil fish—it’s the superstar of Fossil Lake and possibly the most perfectly preserved vertebrate fossil on the planet. As Wyoming’s official State Fossil, this creature reached lengths up to 25 cm (10 in). Imagine 50 million years ago, a massive ancient lake sprawled across what is now southwest Wyoming, with 500 square miles of sediment still hiding incredible fossil treasures. The central 230 square miles hold layers of rock and sediments like no other, preserving fish and ecosystems so vividly thanks to Fossil Lake’s unique chemistry. This is the ultimate Paleogene snapshot of freshwater life, unrivaled and thrilling for every collector and enthusiast.
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 miacod (a primitive carnivore), insects, and more than 325 types of leaves, seeds, and flowers.
