XL 4.5" Diplomystus Dentatus Fossil Fish Green River FM WY Eocene Age COA, Stand
Location: Kemmerer, Wyoming
Weight: 1 Pound 9.5 Ounces
Dimensions: 7.1 Inches Long, 3.8 Inches Wide, 0.7 Inches Thick (Plate)
Fish Dimensions: 4.5 Inches Long, 1.7 Inches Wide
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Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
The item pictured is the one you will receive.
56 million years old, Eocene age.
The morphology of Diplomystus Dentatus, especially its upturned mouth, indicates its adaptation for surface feeding. This genus, closely related to herrings, probably preyed on small fish near the water's surface, supported by numerous fossils of Knightia found in its stomach contents. About fifty million years ago, Fossil Lake existed in what is now southwest Wyoming, covering roughly 930 square miles. Today, around 500 square miles of sediment remain, with 230 square miles of central lake-bed deposits that show exceptional fossil preservation and diverse geological features such as deltas, beaches, and springs from nearshore to deep-water zones. The lake’s unique chemical conditions slowed decomposition and scavenging, allowing sediments to accumulate into finely laminated limestone layers that contain the world's largest deposits of fossil fish, offering a rare view of a Paleogene freshwater lake ecosystem.
Since its discovery in the 1870s, many well-preserved fossil fish have been recovered. These fossils include a complete aquatic ecosystem preserved within the laminated limestone: 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 surrounding subtropical terrestrial environment is also represented by rare fossils, such as a horse, two snakes, lizards, two bat species, birds, an apatemyid (an arboreal insectivore), a minced (primitive carnivore), insects, and over 325 types of leaves, seeds, and flowers.
Please be aware of the nature of fossils:
Being buried underground for millions of years under immense pressure is a tough process. Rarely does a fossil emerge intact and perfect. Most fossils require some restoration, and some are modified by humans to improve their appearance. These features are part of the fossil's natural charm and should not be seen as flaws.
