North America, Western United States, Wyoming, Green River Formation, Eocene Period, ca. 53.5 to 48.5 million years ago. A sandstone matrix with the tips of a fossilized palm frond inlaid with prehistoric fish fossils, creating a fascinating scene. The fish are Diplomystus and Knightia, likely excavated from the "18-inch layer," where the sediment is highly laminated, and fossils are can be extracted nearly whole. The stone is meticulously prepared with a wood panel backing. Size: 20.5" L x 1.25" W x 13" H (52.1 cm x 3.2 cm x 33 cm); largest fish fossil: 4.5" L x 2" W (11.4 cm x 5.1 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. This impressive aquarium like arrangement creates a rare scene from a prehistoric environment that was drastically different than what the semi-arid Wyoming landscape of today!

Provenance: Private Berthoud, Colorado, USA collection

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Professionally prepared, fish is inlaid into the surface. Mounted on a wooden board backing. Great preservation to fish fossils.