North America, Wyoming, Green River Formation, Eocene Period, ca. 53.5 to 48.5 million years ago. A fabulous and large stone matrix from the "18 inch" layer of the Green River Formation, bearing a fossilized Diplomystus fish! Not only are the bones present, but remains of soft tissue are preserved- all fossilizing to a dark umber brown, nearly black hue that contrasts beautifully against the limestone. The individual fins, and even serrations to spinelike protrusions just above the head are visible! The Diplo is recessed into the stone, the matrix layers once covering the fossil are cut away to reveal this treasure. Scattered throughout the limestone are a few shell imprints and remains of another fish's fin - attesting to the wealth of fossilized remains of the Green River Formation's prehistoric lake. Diplomystus fish, often shortened to "Diplo" was a predatory genus with an upturned mouth, typical of surface feeders that ate insects and smaller fish. Size: 23.75" L x 0.5" W x 14" H (60.3 cm x 1.3 cm x 35.6 cm)

The sediment from the Green River Formation was deposited over a 5-million-year span, the layers of flora and fauna may not have fossilized at the same time - but make for interesting composites. The Eocene world was the warmest of the Cenozoic (our current era), with an average mean temperature around 86 F (30 C) (for comparison, the average mean temperature in the last seventy years is around 58 F (14 C). Although the map of the Earth's surface would have been very recognizable to us today, with most of the continents in place and India moving close to its current position, there were basically no ice caps and huge swaths of the landscape were covered with water, including vast inland seas.

Provenance: private Berthoud, Colorado, USA collection

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#170096

Professionally prepared and excavated. Fossil is slightly recessed from the rest of the matrix. Excellent preservation to soft tissue and bones.