14.7" Fossil Fish (Mioplosus) From 18 Inch Layer - Wyoming

This is a darkly preserved, 14.7" long Mioplosus labracoides from the famous 18 inch layer of the Green River Formation. It was collected this summer from Warfield's Quarry near Kemmerer, and is one of the more uncommon species in the formation. It's nicely centered on a 20.4x13" slab of shale which has been backed for stability. There is one repaired crack through the center of the rock and the body of the fish; another repaired crack runs through the tail.

It comes with a display stand, but we can add wall mounting hardware upon request.

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.
A view of one of the commercial quarries where fossils from the Green River Formation are collected.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Mioplosus labracoides
LOCATION
Warfield's Quarry, Kemmerer, WY
FORMATION
Green River Formation, 18 Inch Layer
SIZE
14.7" fish on 21.6x14.6" shale
CATEGORY
ITEM
#107471
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