A FOSSIL PALM FROND WITH FISH

A FOSSIL PALM FROND WITH FISH

Sabalites sp., Knightia eocaena, Diplomystus denatatus, Priscacara serrata

Eocene

Green River Formation, Wyoming, USA

An irregular trimmed oval shape, it measures 63 × 53 inches (160 × 134.6 cm).

The Green River Formation in Wyoming is one of the few places on Earth where fallen flora and fauna was buried swiftly enough by muddy silt to preserve this softer material. Even with such advantageous conditions, however, palm fronds are a rare discovery. Their thin and delicate structure often means they decay far too quickly to survive the long process of fossilization. This relatively large fossil palm is fanned-out with a few folded leaves and contains some minor restoration around the edges along with some color enhancements which is quite common with palms of this size. Adding to the aesthetics and complexity of this palm are eight fossil fish seemingly floating in and around the leaves of the frond. The warm dark brown tones of the exposed fossils contrast nicely with the pale cream of the matrix.

PROVENANCE

Private Florida collection