Museum-Quality Green River Fossil Fish Triptych

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 is an extraordinary fossil fish triptych from the world-renowned Green River Formation of southwestern Wyoming and the first triptych-style fossil display ever offered on our website. Composed of three complementary limestone panels from the renowned Clear Creek Quarry outside Kemmerer, Wyoming, this museum-quality display showcases an elegant assemblage of exceptionally preserved Eocene fish fossils arranged in a natural, visually balanced composition. Each panel measures 50 x 24", and when displayed together they create an impressive wall display measuring approximately 50" tall by 72" wide, plus the spacing between panels. The separation distance completely depends on the customer's preference upon installation, allowing the overall presentation to be customized for the available display space. The largest specimen is a rare, 13" long Notogoneus osculus, making it the centerpiece of this remarkable composition.

The left panel contains a 13" Notogoneus osculus, an 8.9" Mioplosus labracoides, a 5.05" Cockerellites (Priscacara) liops, and two Knightia eocaena measuring 5.3" and 5.5". The center panel features two Diplomystus dentatus measuring 7.8" and 5.2", two Priscacara serrata measuring 7.2" and 6.6", and two Cockerellites (Priscacara) liops measuring 4.55" and 4.2". The right panel displays an impressive 19" Diplomystus dentatus, a smaller 4.6" Diplomystus dentatus, and three Knightia eocaena measuring 6.1", 5", and 5". One of the most striking aspects of this display is that every fish has been positioned swimming upright, as they would have appeared while living in the waters of ancient Fossil Lake over 50 million years ago, creating a uniquely lifelike and dynamic presentation.

Every fossil has been expertly inlaid into limestone slabs quarried from the same locality, producing a cohesive composition while maintaining a consistent appearance across all three panels. Some of the caudal fins have undergone minor professional restoration, a common and carefully executed practice for large display pieces of this caliber. Each panel has been reinforced with moisture-resistant wood backing and fitted with a wall hanger for secure installation, resulting in a stunning, museum-quality centerpiece that is as durable as it is visually impressive.

Measurements:

Left Panel

Plate - 50 x 24"
Notogoneus - 13" long
Mioplosus - 8.9" long
Cockerellites - 5.05" long
Knightia - 5.3" and 5.5" long

Center Panel

Plate - 50 x 24"
Diplomystus - 7.8" and 5.2" long
Priscacara - 7.2" and 6.6" long
Cockerellites - 4.55" and 4.2" long

Right Panel

Plate - 50 x 24"
Diplomystus - 19" and 4.6" long
Knightia - 6.1", 5", and 5" long

About Fossil Lake

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.

A view of one of the commercial quarries where fossils from the Green River Formation are collected.

Our Fossil Lake Safari Quarry just outside Kemmerer, Wyoming.

$31,500

SPECIES

Notogoneus osculus, Diplomystus dentatus, Priscacara serrata, Cockerellites (Priscacara) liops & Knightia eocaena

AGE

Eocene (~51 million years)