North America, Wyoming, Green River Formation, Eocene Period, ca. 53.5 to 48.5 million years ago. A remarkable stone matrix containing fossilized palm fronds inlaid with two prehistoric fish. The upper fish appears to be a Knightia, a schooling species related to modern herrings and sardines, while the darker lower specimen may be a Mioplosus, a predatory fish - its small teeth are visible. Although palms are terrestrial, the arrangement of the fish and fronds creates the illusion of an aquatic scene, as if the fish are darting through submerged reeds. The bodies of the fish are slightly recessed into the stone, enhancing their three-dimensional appearance. This beautifully preserved fossil is backed with a wooden panel and fitted with metal hardware, making it ready for wall display. Size: 21.25" L x 19" W (54 cm x 48.3 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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#192502
Condition
Professionally prepared, fish are inlaid into the surface. Mounted on a wooden board backing. Great preservation to fish and palm. Comes with metal hardware for mounting on a wall.