Fossil Palm Flower Stem With Fish
Early Eocene (approx. 52-48 million years ago), Green River Formation, Lincoln County, Wyoming, USA
No reserve
Session begins in
July 14, 02:00 PM GMT
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
Bid
8,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Fossil Palm Flower Stem With Fish
Palm inflorescence (Family: Arecaceae), Diplomystus dentatus, Phareodus encaustus, Knightia eocaena
Early Eocene (approx. 52-48 million years ago)
Green River Formation, Lincoln County, Wyoming, USA
90 x 38 x 3¼ inches (228.6 x 96.5 x 8.3 cm), palm inflorescence measures 49 inches (124.5 cm) from base to tip. Largest fish (Diplomystus dentatus) measures 20¾ inches (52.7 cm) in length. 318 pounds (144.2 kg).
The palm flower stem (inflorescence) is nicely preserved together with four skeletons belonging to three species of extinct freshwater fish. A separate branch and other lake bottom debris are visible adding appeal to this ancient underwater time capsule.
This large and aesthetic palm flower inflorescence was excavated 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 the preserved fossil specimens discovered in the Green River 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.
REFERENCES:
Grande, Lance. The Lost World of Fossil Lake. University of Chicago Press, 2013, pp. 300-302.
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