Two Large Knightia From Cap Layer - Green River Formation

This pair of large Knightia eocaena from the Green River Formation. They come from the bottom, grey cap layer that has outstanding preservation but isn't collected that often because it's much harder to prepare. The fish have outstanding detail with one being 5.6" long and the other being 4.6". They are aesthetically displayed on a rectangularly cut 14.4 x 7.3" slab of rock.

This specimen includes an acrylic display stand.

About Knightia

Knightia is an extinct genus of small, schooling, ray-finned fish related to modern herrings and sardines. Abundant in the warm freshwater lakes of the Eocene Green River Formation, they fed on insects, plankton, and tiny fish, while serving as prey for nearly every larger predator in the ecosystem. The most common species, Knightia eocena, reached about 15 cm in length and is celebrated today as the state fossil of Wyoming.

These streamlined fish are recognized by their heavy scales, small conical teeth, and rows of dorsal and ventral scutes along the body. Their fossils are among the most iconic from the Green River Formation—an exceptional 48-million-year-old lake deposit in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah known for preserving a remarkably detailed snapshot of ancient life in a warm, lake-rich Eocene landscape.

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