9" Predatory Fossil Fish (Phareodus) - Wyoming

Predatory Fossil Fish (Phareodus) - Wyoming #77818

This is a beautiful, 9" long example of one of the more uncommon fossil fish found in the Green River Formation, Phareodus. It is remarkably detailed and nicely presented on a 11.5" wide slab of shale. Just check out the closeup photos to see the detail in this magnificent specimen. The rock was fairly thin, so it was backed with Hardie Board to provide stability.

If you look closely you can see how Phareodus has a mouthful of sharp pointy teeth making is a voracious lake predator. In fact the name Phareodus actually means "to have tooth" Spines from other fish such as Mioplosus and Priscacara have frequently been found preserved in it's stomach.

About Fossil Lake

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