Lot 175
North America, Wyoming, Green River Formation, Eocene Period, ca. 53.5 to 48.5 million years ago. This impressive stone matrix showcases fossilized fish from both the Knightia and Diplomystus species. Known as a "life assemblage," this piece captures a snapshot of an ancient aquatic ecosystem, preserved in their natural behavior before a sudden, catastrophic event caused mass mortality. Some of the fossils may have been skillfully inlaid from adjacent layers or stones, seamlessly integrated into the matrix to enhance the visual composition. Size: 33.5" L x 1" W x 39" H (85.1 cm x 2.5 cm x 99.1 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 Constance McCormick Fearing estate, Montecito, California, USA, acquired before 2004
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#188875
- Condition: Professionally prepared. Stable fissures along peripheries of matrix. Great preservation to fossils. Several fossils might be inlaid. Matrix is mounted on a wood / particle board backing.
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