Fossil Palm Frond Plates (Positive & Negative)
Early Eocene Epoch (approx. 52-48 million years ago), Green River Formation, Lincoln Co., Wyoming
Auction Closed
July 16, 06:46 PM GMT
Estimate
15,000 - 25,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Fossil Palm Frond Plates (Positive & Negative)
Sabalites sp.
Early Eocene Epoch (approx. 52-48 million years ago)
Green River Formation, Lincoln Co., Wyoming
Left plate measures 88 x 31½ x 1¼ inches (223.5 x 80 x 3.2 cm), right plate measures 96 x 31½ x 1¼ inches (243.8 x 80 x 3.2 cm). Left plate weighs 136 pounds (61.7 kg), right plate weighs 148 pounds (67.1 kg). 284 pounds (128.8 kg) combined.
The Sabalites palm frond is well-preserved showing complete stem (petiole) and leaflets lacking most tips. This impressive frond is nicely preserved in positive and negative trimmed plates. The fossil slabs are irregularly-shaped.
50 million years ago, the Green River Formation comprised an area of 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.
Finding plant fossils in Fossil Lake is particularly challenging because they rarely have any thickness to detect during excavation. Thus, the only way a plant such as palm frond is discovered is when a layer of rock is fortuitously split in just the right place, or if it is exposed in the laboratory as another fossil is being prepared. Because of the size and level of preservation of the palm frond found in this pair of plates, it is likely that it came from an ancient palm grove very close to the shore of Fossil Lake.