A Large Fossil Palm Flower
Early Eocene (approx. 56 - 48 million years ago), Green River Formation, Lincoln Co., Wyoming
不设底价
拍卖已结束
July 26, 08:15 PM GMT
估价
20,000 - 30,000 USD
拍品信息
描述
Fossil Palm Flower
Sabalites powellii
Early Eocene (approx. 56 - 48 million years ago)
Green River Formation, Lincoln Co., Wyoming
Palm flower measures 54 inches (137 cm) tall, and is 12 inches (30.5 cm) at its widest point. Plate measures 57 x 27 x 2 7/8 inches (145 x 68.6 x 7.30 cm), and weights 169 pounds (76.7 kg).
This large and aesthetic palm flower inflorescence derives from the Green River Formation, an area once bursting with flora and fauna that comprised more than 25,000 square miles (65,000 sq. km) of interconnected subtropical lakes spread across the current states of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. Today, the region of the Green River Formation known as "Fossil Lake" boasts some of the most abundant and well-preserved freshwater fossils anywhere in the world.
The majority of these preserved fossil specimens are fauna, not flora, with palms being exceptionally scarce due to the fact that their soft material was highly susceptible to decomposition prior to fossilization. As a result, palms are some of the most prized fossils in the geologic record, with this entire palm flower inflorescence serving as a stunning representation of plant life in the Early Eocene.
