Fossilised Fish Plates: A Look at Our Ancient World

The Green River Formation is a geologic site that dates back more than 50 million years. The formation occurred due to mass sedimentation in a group of intermountain lakes in three basins along the current Green River in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah.

The Green River Formation, Salina Canyon, Sevier County, Utah

Covering an area of more than 65,000 square kilometers, the site formed by lakes on the intermountain foundation being gradually filled with sediment, silt, mud and dissolved minerals from streams draining the steep slopes. Wide wetlands that formed along the lakeshores were home to a variety of vegetation, including ferns and palm fronds.

It has been found that the uppermost layer of rock holds the most extensive record of fossilised freshwater fish in North America, with complete fossils of over 20 different fish species, 100 different kinds of insects, and a large variety of plants.

The formation has allowed palaeontologists to become educated on the habits of the ancient lakes inhabitants such as mass mortality layers are found, where many specimens of the same fish species are preserved in a small area showing schooling.

Moreover, sometimes fossilised fishes are discovered with what appears to be another fish in its mouth; these fossilised fishes are known as "aspirations" and are thought to depict the quick demise and burial of a fish that choked and perished while consuming another fish.

Explore our Green River Formation collection:

Rotating Fossilised Fish Plate

Knightia eocaena, Mioplosus labracoides and Cockerellites liops
Eocene (50 million years ago)
53 x 29.5 x 10 cm
Green River Formation, Montana, US 
£5,000

Fossilised Fish Mural

Knightia eocaena, Diplomystus dentatus and Priscacara liops
Eocene (50 million years ago)
89 x 68 x 3 cm
Green River Formation, Montana, US 
£6,500

Rotating Fossilised Fish Plate

Knightia eocaena
Eocene (50 million years ago)
60 x 32.5 x 10 cm
Green River Formation, Montana, US 
£5,000

Rotating Fossilised Fish and Palm Plate

Palm frond fragment and Knightia eocaena
Eocene (50 million years ago)
49.5 x 46 x 10 cm
Green River Formation, Montana, US 
£5,000

Fossilised Fish Mural

Knightia eocaena, Diplomystus dentatus and Priscacara liops
Eocene (50 million years ago)
93 x 123 x 4 cm
Green River Formation, Montana, US 
£12,000

All pieces featured are available to purchase from Extraordinary Objects Gallery. To discover rare fossils, minerals and meteorites visit our natural history collection. Please get in touch for further details.