20" Monster Fish Fossil (Phareodus) w/ Feather - Wall Mount

Monster Fish Fossil (Phareodus) w/ Feather - Wall Mount #299817

This is a monstrous 20" long Phareodus from the Green River Formation. This whopper was collected this summer near Kemmerer, Wyoming. It has dark brown preservation, which contrasts nicely against the light colored shale, and features amazing detail. And if this plate couldn't get any cooler, there is a preserved feather near the bottom right corner of the plate! A stunning display which is sure to turn heads.

The specimen has a wood backing plate and wall mounting hardware installed, so it is ready to be hung on a wall.

The preparation on this piece is excellent with only some minor restoration to the dorsal fin. There are areas of disarticulation to the anterior half of the fish.

Phareodus is a genus of predatory freshwater fish found in the famous Fossil Lake deposits of the Green River Formation in Wyoming. It had a mouthful of sharp pointy teeth, making it a voracious lake predator. In fact, the name Phareodus actually means "to have teeth". Spines from other fish such as Mioplosus and Priscacara have frequently been found preserved in their stomachs.

50 million years ago, in the Eocene epoch, these fish thrived in Fossil Lake, which was fed by the Uinta and Rocky Mountain highlands. The anoxic conditions at the bottom of Fossil Lake slowed bacterial decomposition, prevented scavengers from disturbing corpses, and, most interestingly, suffocated creatures that ventured into the oxygen-starved aquatic layer. The result is a miraculous exhibition of Eocene biota: a subtropical aquatic community within sycamore forests, teeming with creatures such as freshwater stingrays, dog-sized horses, menacing alligators, early flying bats, and one of the first primates.

A view of one of the commercial quarries where fossils from the Green River Formation are collected.

Dig Your Own Fossils At Fossil Lake Safari