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20.5" Stunning Multiple Fossil Fish Plate - Large Mioplosus
This is a stunning, 20.5" wide fossil fish plate collected from the Clear Creek Quarry at the Green River Formation of Wyoming. The rock contains three fish (Mioplosus labracoides, Diplomystus dentatus, and Knightia eocaena) that are naturally associated with each other. They come out of the 18 inch layer (bottom cap) which produces beautifully preserved fish, but takes 2-3x longer to prep. The Mioplosus is 12" long, the Diplomystus is 8.8" long, and the Knightia measures 5.2" long.
This specimen is accompanied by a display stand.
This specimen is accompanied by a display stand.
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.
SPECIES
Mioplosus labracoides, Diplomystus dentatus & Knightia eocaena
LOCATION
Clear Creek Quarry, Kemmerer, Wyoming
FORMATION
Green River Formation - 18 Inch Layer (Bottom Cap)
SIZE
Rock: 20.5 x 11.6", Largest Fish: 12" long
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#370885
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