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20.5" Huge Fish Fossil (Phareodus) - Wall Mount
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This is a monstrous and undoubtedly fantastic, 20.5" long fossil fish (Phareodus encaustus) from the Green River Formation of Wyoming. It was collected from the bottom cap just below the 18 inch layer. This layer has the best preservation in the quarry but the rock is much harder so it takes about 3x as long to prepare as fish from the 18 inch layer. It is nicely presented on a solid slab of limestone and has been backed for stability. Mounting hardware is already installed so the specimen can be hung up upon arrival.
There is some restoration to the ventral, dorsal, and caudal fin.
About Phareodus
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.
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.
About The 18 Inch Layer Of Fossil Lake
Specimens of this quality come from the coveted 18-inch layer of the Green River Formation, a horizon renowned for producing exceptionally dark, detailed, and well-preserved fossil fish. The limestone from this layer is significantly harder and more durable than that found in many other parts of the formation, likely a result of the deep-water conditions under which it was originally deposited.
These conditions helped preserve fish in remarkable completeness, allowing exceptional specimens to be recovered largely intact. Locating them is a specialized process. The layer is often worked at night using low-angle lighting, which reveals the subtle raised contours created by a fossil fish—particularly the backbone—hidden beneath the surface of the limestone.
A view of the 18 inch layer of the Green River Formation at the Lindgren quarry near Kemmerer, Wyoming.
Once identified, the surrounding rock is carefully cut away and the specimen is transported to a preparation laboratory. Because the fossil may lie as much as an inch beneath the surface, exposing it requires painstaking work under magnification. Skilled preparators use fine hand tools to gradually remove the overlying limestone, revealing the fossil in extraordinary detail while preserving the delicate bones beneath.
Specimens of this quality come from the coveted 18-inch layer of the Green River Formation, a horizon renowned for producing exceptionally dark, detailed, and well-preserved fossil fish. The limestone from this layer is significantly harder and more durable than that found in many other parts of the formation, likely a result of the deep-water conditions under which it was originally deposited.
These conditions helped preserve fish in remarkable completeness, allowing exceptional specimens to be recovered largely intact. Locating them is a specialized process. The layer is often worked at night using low-angle lighting, which reveals the subtle raised contours created by a fossil fish—particularly the backbone—hidden beneath the surface of the limestone.
A view of the 18 inch layer of the Green River Formation at the Lindgren quarry near Kemmerer, Wyoming.
Once identified, the surrounding rock is carefully cut away and the specimen is transported to a preparation laboratory. Because the fossil may lie as much as an inch beneath the surface, exposing it requires painstaking work under magnification. Skilled preparators use fine hand tools to gradually remove the overlying limestone, revealing the fossil in extraordinary detail while preserving the delicate bones beneath.
$4,750
SPECIES
Phareodus encaustus
LOCATION
Clear Creek Quarry, Kemmerer, Wyoming
FORMATION
Green River Formation - 18 Inch Layer (Bottom Cap)
SIZE
Fish: 20.5" long, Plate: 33 x 20.2", Weight: 45.2 lbs
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#342427
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