10.8" Scarce Fish Fossil (Phareodus) - Unusual Compression

Scarce Fish Fossil (Phareodus) - Unusual Compression #251887

This is a unique, 10.8" long fossil fish (Phareodus) from the Green River Formation of Wyoming. It was collected from the famous "18 inch layer" (bottom cap) at the Lindgren Quarry near Kemmerer, Wyoming. The fish has a reddish brown coloration to it and unusual compressed preservation that was referred to as being the "only one I've seen", by Tony Lindgren.

It is nicely presented on a thick, 12.25 x 12" slab of shale. Comes with a metal display stand. Upon request, we can install a backing and wall mounting hardware.

Phareodus is a genus of predatory freshwater fish found in the famous Fossil Lake deposits of the Green River Formation in Wyoming. It had a mouthful of sharp pointy teeth, making it a voracious lake predator. In fact, the name Phareodus actually means "to have teeth". Spines from other fish such as Mioplosus and Priscacara have frequently been found preserved in their stomachs.

50 million years ago, in the Eocene, these fish thrived in Fossil Lake, which was fed by the Uinta and Rocky Mountain highlands. The anoxic conditions at the bottom of Fossil Lake slowed bacterial decomposition, prevented scavengers from disturbing corpses and, most interestingly, suffocated creatures that ventured into the oxygen-starved aquatic layer. The result is a miraculous exhibition of Eocene biota: a subtropical aquatic community within sycamore forests, teeming with creatures such as freshwater stingrays, dog-sized horses, menacing alligators, early flying bats, and one of the first primates.

A view of one of the commercial quarries where fossils from the Green River Formation are collected.

Dig Your Own Fossils At Fossil Lake Safari