Western Europe, Germany, Rhineland-Pfalz, Permian period, ca. 299 to 252.2 million years ago. This is a large and spectacular matrix with a "school" of 17 Paramblypterus duvernoyi fish that beautifully preserves their anatomy and a bonus amphibian coprolite. The matrix contains not only nice preservation to the bones but also their soft tissue and scales! All have been excavated from the same layer of the shale as a flat slab that is perfect for displaying. The Paramblypterus was a primitive fish with an asymmetrical tail, the longer upper lobe having a small edge of fin and the rest being fleshy, covered with heavy scales like the rest of the body. The fossil's dark brown-black hue is original, and the surrounding matrix displays a beautiful combination of naturally occurring layers of warm brown and light gray. One of the fish has a perfectly preserved coprolite fossil from a giant amphibian, laying over a fish! Size of matrix: 36" L x 26" W (91.4 cm x 66 cm); fish: 6.75" L (17.1 cm) to 4.75" L (12.1 cm)

These fish lived in a time in our fossil records, before the first dinosaurs and at a point in time just before Earth's most devastating extinction event in all its history, the end of the Permian Period. An exceptional piece for its scientific significance as a fossil specimen from a time period of both great destruction and before the dawning of dinosaurs. Please note, this Paramblypterus fish species is often confused with the more common and much later Eocene fish fossils from the Green River Formation in Wyoming. The Paramblypterus fish here in this fossil lived well before the very first dinosaurs! Permian fish fossils are immeasurably rarer, especially those from the fossil beds of Pflaz.

Provenance: ex-private German collection acquired in 2010

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#166809

Professionally prepared and excavated. Repair between the fish with minor infill to reinforce the edges of matrix slab. Protective coating added to seal the fossils. Verso is reinforced with epoxy and steel and is ready to display.