XL 5" Diplomystus Dentatus Fossil Fish Green River FM WY Eocene Age COA, Stand

Location: Kemmerer, Wyoming

Weight: 9.6 Ounces

Dimensions: 6.7 Inches Long, 3.7 Inches Wide, 0.3 Inches Thick (Plate)

Fish Dimensions: 5 Inches Long, 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 was a surface-feeding fish whose upward-facing mouth reveals how it captured prey near the top of the water. Closely related to modern herrings, this species likely targeted small fish and planktonic organisms. Fossil discoveries have even preserved direct evidence of its diet, with remains of Knightia found within the abdominal regions of some specimens, confirming its role as an active predator in the lake ecosystem.

During the early Eocene, around 50 million years ago, Fossil Lake formed part of a vast lake system in present-day southwestern Wyoming. At its greatest extent, the lake covered approximately 930 square miles, making it a major freshwater feature of the region. Today, about 500 square miles of sedimentary deposits remain, including roughly 230 square miles of finely laminated central lake-bed limestone that is famous for exceptional fossil preservation.

What makes Fossil Lake especially significant is the extraordinary quality and diversity of fossils it contains. Chemical conditions in the lake limited bacterial decay and discouraged scavengers, allowing delicate organisms to be preserved in remarkable detail. As a result, Fossil Lake records an entire ancient ecosystem, from microscopic cyanobacteria to large vertebrates. Fossils include fish, insects, crustaceans, frogs, salamanders, turtles, alligators, birds, and early mammals, offering scientists one of the most complete records of a Paleogene freshwater environment anywhere in the world.

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.