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16" Uncommon Fossil Fish (Notogoneus) - Wyoming
This is a 16" long fossil fish (Notogoneus osculus), one of the larger and more uncommon fish found in the Green River Formation. It was collected from the 18 inch layer at Lindgren Quarry near Kemmerer, Wyoming.
Comes with a metal display stand. Upon request we can add a backing and wall mounting hardware.
Comes with a metal display stand. Upon request we can add a backing and wall mounting hardware.
50 million years ago, in the Eocene epoch, 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.
Specimens like this come from the coveted 18 inch layer of the Green River Formation, which produces darker and more detailed fish than the majority on the market. The rock from this layer is much harder and more durable than other layers in the formation, likely due to its initial deposition conditions in deep water. Because of these conditions, fish found in the 18-inch layer can be extracted whole and in excellent condition. This layer is typically collected at night using low-angle light to see the bump in the rock that the fish's backbone creates. They then cut these fish out and take them to a lab where the fish, which may be up to an inch under the surface of the rock, are meticulously extracted under microscope with hand tools.
SPECIES
Notogoneus osculus
LOCATION
Lindgren Quarry, Kemmerer, Wyoming
FORMATION
Green River Formation, 18 Inch Layer
SIZE
Fish: 16" wide, Shale: 19.5 x 11.5"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#251879
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