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RARE 100 % NATURAL NOTOGONEUS PREHISTORIC SAND FISH FROM THE GREEN RIVER 18 INCH LAYER ON MATRIX WITH NO RESTORATION OR REPAIR Green River Formation, Kemmerer, Wyoming, U.S. EOCENE PERIOD: 48 million years ago From the famous 18 inch layer of the Green River Formation in Wyoming, this spectacular, large Notogoneus osculus, aka Sand Fish is of the finest possible preservation on its original, unbroken beautiful slab of limestone matrix. Accompanying it on a higher up layer is a small Knightia, a type of extinct herring fish. This is a large, impressive and VERY RARE specimen with classic coloration from this "best" layer of the formation. There are two types of layers found in this limestone fossil-bearing formation - the SPLIT LAYER and the 18 INCH LAYER. The split layer is comprised of a deposit of limestone that is not well-laminated and often, specimens are broken and not well-preserved in this layer. The 18 inch layer consists of strong, well-laminated limestone layers and the preservation of its fossils are the best. Green River fossils from the 18 inch layer are known for their incredible preservation and are the most desirable to knowledgeable collectors. This specimen was found in the 18 inch layer and it is a rare species of fish found only in this layer. It boasts of COMPLETE, 100% NATURAL preservation with no artificial painting of the specimen. The slab is INTACT and was extracted without being broken. This rare fossil has NO REPAIR AND NO RESTORATION of any kind. A specimen of lesser quality preservation than this recently sold at a major natural history auction for nearly $6000. This fine example exceeds the detail and condition of that piece and is listed here at a substantial discount. Like any object of rarity, prices can be found to wild fluctuate but the best specimens fetch the highest prices and are usually the ONLY ones that appreciate over time. Green River fossil specimens with restoration can sell for substantially less than this superb example which has NO RESTORATION. Notogoneus osculus was a fish that was a predatory creature that lived near the bottom of rivers that fed the lake and the lake itself, in this region. It resembled a modern-day sucker fish and would have fed off of creatures on or near the bottom of its habitat, likely at night. In this specimen, the entire skeleton and fins are immaculately preserved in a jet black hue. The skull is complete and the mouth is extended with all preserved anatomy as seen above. The soft body tissue preserved in a dark coffee brown. The slab is original to the fossil and because it comes from the coveted 18 inch layer, the limestone has a very cool grayish ivory color which affords a beautiful contrast to the dark natural tone of the fish. This color combination and the rectangular cut slab makes it a perfect specimen for a rare interior design accent as well as a prize specimen for the finest collection. SPECIAL NOTE ON GREEN RIVER FORMATION FOSSILS: There are two common practices with Green River fossils to be careful with when making a purchase. Both of these practices radically affect the price and value of these fossils. One is the sale of the NEGATIVE impression of the fossil, that is, when the rock was split, one side had the fossilized creature on it and the other had an impression of the creature with possible traces of fossilized substance. These negative impressions are often colored and sold for prices much less than the POSITIVE side of the split which contains the preserved skeleton of the animal, not a colored impression. The values of honestly rare and fine grade specimens are no secret to the entire planet. If you find a fossil is much less than the average market price then it most likely is not as good of a deal as it may look. A talented artist can do wonders with a fossil! The second issue to be careful with is the artificial coloring and restoration of body parts that did not preserve or sustain the fossilization process. Poorly preserved body parts or missing parts are often painted to match the rest of the fossil. This is especially true on the pricey fossils such as the large palm tree leaves and skate and ray fossils, not to mention the entire array of fish fossils. There is a difference between the natural coloration of the fossil and paint. Often, you will see many Green River fossils that are so darkly colored that you cannot make out any detail or see if any patching or restoration was done. If the fossil does NOT come from the 18 inch layer and is black or extremely dark brown, it is more possible it was artificially colored versus if it did come from this layer. The fossils that come from the 18 inch layer are naturally very dark brown to black but not solid black like you may see some fossils artificially painted as such. One way to determine if the color is artificial is to look closely and see if the body is a different hue than the preserved bones. If they are all one color and identically intense in tone, the specimen should be suspect. Naturally colored specimens will usually have some variance in the color and hue between bone and soft-body tissue. Other issues to be aware of is the compositing of partially found fossils pieced together and set into a matrix plate other than the one in which the fossils were found. If you find the half of a rare fish worth much more if it was complete and you have access to the other part of another specimen, it is possible the two pieces can be joined and the entire "complete" creature can be set into a matrix plate and made to look like it was found and prepared in this plate with identical grinding of the recessed opening, etc.. It is important to know your supplier and only deal with suppliers who are fully experienced and actively engaged in fossil preparation. Like any other field of collectibles where AUTHENTICITY is critical, fraud is an issue today in the fossil market. Many of the techniques employed today to enhance, restore and fabricate specimens are beyond the common knowledge of many dealers, especially dealers who are resellers versus those operating preparation facilities and directly doing the work themselves. The dealer with extensive lab experience will be able to differentiate the good from the bad with this valuable knowledge. Paleo Direct, Inc. operates two full-time preparation labs and our staff possesses extensive experience in a multitude of fossil preparation, repair and restoration techniques. One of the most important fossil sites for understanding the Eocene is found at Green River, located in western Colorado, eastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming in the United States. During the Eocene, this region was located at much the same latitude it is today, though global climate was more equable. Therefore, the climate in which the organisms lived differs somewhat from that of the present-day western United States. The fossils, especially plants, found at this site indicate that the climate was moist temperate or sub-tropical, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. In addition to the plants, another piece of evidence suggesting that the climate was sub-tropical was the presence of fossilized crocodiles. Crocodiles can only survive in areas with a constant, warm temperature. If you were able to visit the Green River locality during the Eocene, you would see palms, cat-tails, sycamores, and other familiar plants from North America, but you would also see some that are today more common in, or restricted to, eastern Asia. A series of large inland lakes extended across the region, and it is in the bottoms of these lakes that various plants and animals were buried and fossilized. These lakes later dried up as the local climate changed, and many of the plants and animals living there became extinct. STUNNING DISPLAY AND INCREDIBLE DETAIL! 25.5" long x 12.5" wide matrix, fish is 18.5" in length SOLD F040 STAND INCLUDED Actual Item - One Only |
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