48.5" Fossil Palm and Fish Mural - Insect Predation On Palm!

Fossil Palm and Fish Mural - Insect Predation On Palm! #380234

Note: Because of its size and weight, this piece will ship via freight on a pallet or in a crate. Our website can’t automatically calculate freight charges, so shipping costs will be determined and billed after purchase. If you’d like a quote beforehand, please contact us prior to ordering.

This 48.5" tall fossil palm and fish mural is like having a prehistoric aquarium with plants and aquatic life on display together! It features three fossil fish; two of the species Knightia eocaena and one Cockerellites (Priscacara) liops fish, all of which have been inlaid into the rock. Incredibly preserved and rare insect predation holes can even be seen running across many of its leaves! This would have occurred prior to the palm completely unfolding/unfurling, hence the straight line of holes. A unique combination that shows off both flora and fauna from the Green River Formation.

Measurements:
Plate - 48.5 x 36"
Palm - 46.5" long (longest measurement - diagonal)
Cockerellites - 5.3" long
Knightia - 4.8" & 3.7" long
Weight - 68 lbs

The rock has been backed with moisture-resistant wood and is ready to be hung on a wall. We can install the wall hanger to mount it in a variety of orientations upon customer request. Please include preferred orientation in notes upon purchase or contact support@fossilera.com.

There are four repaired cracks running across the rock, each of which has some minor gap fill restoration where the rock crumbled away. While the palm hasn't been painted to enhance its color, there is some surface restoration along the edge it runs off of, primarily along these repaired cracks.

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.

Dig Your Own Fossils At Fossil Lake Safari