Natural History - Large Display Piece of Polished Amber with Insects

From the front leg of Deltadromeus agilis on a matrix; repaired. 1.1 kg, 22.5 cm long



From the Kem-Kem Basin, Morocco, North Africa. From an old German paleontological collection.

Deltadromeus had extraordinarily delicate and long limbs making it one of the fastest dinosaurs to have existed. This meat-eating dinosaur was an early off-shoot of the theropod line on northern continents that gave rise to Tyrannosaurus and the raptor Deinonychus.

In a matrix. 112 grams, 13.2 x 8.5 cm

Fine condition.

From the Green River Formation, Lincoln County, Wyoming, U.S.A. From an old Lincoln collection.

Seasonally, some 56 million years ago, in the Green River Region of Wyoming, torrential rains fell on the mountains. The rain flowed down the mountain sides, forming wide shallow lakes in the valley below. During the dry season, these lakes evaporated (similar to certain parts of Africa today). Millions of fish died in this short period of time. This climatic cycle happened over a 20-thousand-year period. Layer upon layer of mud was deposited over these years, entombing huge numbers of fish. At a much later date volcanic activity uplifted this area to expose their fossils.

Showing good enamel and a large part of the root; repaired. 114 grams, 11 cm



From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.