Lot 135
North America, Wyoming, Green River Formation, Eocene Period, ca. 53.5 to 48.5 million years ago. A sandstone matrix of a fossilized palm frond inlaid with 2 prehistoric fish fossils, creating a scene that looks like it was taken from an aquarium! The larger fish is a Phareodus, a predatory freshwater species, the tiny needle like teeth- which are preserved here- were for feeding upon smaller species, like the prehistoric Knightia - which is the fossil in the lower corner! The stone is meticulously prepared with a wood panel backing as an amazing display piece! Size: 20.5" L x 1.5" W x 22.5" H (52.1 cm x 3.8 cm x 57.2 cm); 23" H (58.4 cm) on included custom stand.
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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#174790
- Condition: Professionally prepared, palm frond matrix is inlaid with 2 fish fossils. Chipping to peripheries, and sandstone matrix edges are brittle. Mounted on a wooden board backing.
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