Rare 11" Notogoneus From Green River Formation

This is an nice specimen of Notogoneus osculus one of the rarer species of fish from the Green River Formation of Wyoming. This specimen is 11 inches in length, centered on a 16x10.3", solid slab of matrix. It was collected from the 18" layer of Warfield's Quarry near Kemmerer, WY. This piece would be perfect for framing or mounting on a wall.

Notogoneus was a predator and the down-turned mouth is probably an indicator that it fed on prey at the lakes bottom. It is thought that it's scarcity results from the fact that it is felt it migrated between the lake and the rivers that fed it throughout the year to feed.

The lake itself is known as "Fossil Lake" and it existed 50 million years ago in what is now Wyoming and is believed to have covered approximately 930 square miles. It had an unusual chemistry that inhibited the decay and scavenging of dead organisms while think layers of limestone and organic matter accumulated. This special set of circumstances has lead to the beautiful preservation of fish and other fossils within the Green River Formation.