Loading, please wait...
LOT 2379
Natural History - Knightia Fossil Fish Group
EOCENE PERIOD, CIRCA 56-33 MILLION YEARS B.P.
2 7/8 - 3 1/4 in. (140 grams total, 74-82 mm).
Comprising three Knightia alta specimens, each on a round matrix. [3, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom Wyoming (Green River Formation), USA.
From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.
In southwest Wyoming (and parts of Colorado and Utah) in the Green River Formation are found some of the world's most outstanding specimens of fossil fish. The Green River system was composed of three lakes: Lake Ulinta, Lake Gosiute and Fossil Lake. These Eocene lakes lay in a series of intermountain basins formed by geological events that uplifted the Rocky Mountains during the early Tertiary time. The climate was much different from the desert-like climate of this area today. Both the fauna (crocodiles, alligators, boa constrictors and some subtropical fish families) and the flora (such as large palm trees) indicate a climate much like that found along the Gulf Coast today. Large amounts of ash found in the sediments indicate that volcanoes were particularly active at this time.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Natural History - Fossil Ginko Leaf
Carboniferous Period, 359-299 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
On an irregular matrix. 102 grams, 75 mm
From the Sentinel Butte Formation, Morton County, North Dakota, USA. From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection. -
Natural History - Campo Del Cielo Iron Meteorite
Fell 6000-5000 years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
An iron Campo Del Cielo (IAB) meteorite. 25 grams, 30.5 mm
From Chaco Province, Argentina, found 1576. From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.
A crater field of roughly 26 craters was found in the vicinity of this crater, which is estimated to date to 4-5 thousand years BP. The age of the meteorite itself is thought to be c.4.5 billion years, formed as part of the development of this solar system. The largest two fragments, the 30.8 ton Gancedo and 28.8 ton El Chaco, are among the heaviest meteorite masses ever recovered on Earth. In 1576, the governor of a province in Northern Argentina commissioned the military to search for a large mass of iron, which it was believed the local people claimed had fallen from the sky and which they used for their weapon production. The expedition discovered a large mass of metal which was assumed to be an iron mine and brought back a few samples, which were described as being of unusual purity. Following the legends, in 1774 Don Bartolomé Francisco de Maguna rediscovered the iron mass. He himself did not believe that the stone had fallen from the sky and assumed that it had formed by a volcanic eruption. However, he sent the samples to the Royal Society of London. In 1990 it became protected by law. -
Natural History - Large Spider in Baltic Amber
Oligocene Period, circa 45 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Polished to highlight the spider inclusion. 1.8 grams, 22 mm
From Primorskoje mine, Yantarnyi, Kaliningrad. Property of an Essex gentleman. Accompanied by an illustrated identification card.
