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LOT 1804
Natural History - Mioplosus Fossil Fish in Matrix
EOCENE PERIOD, 56-33 MILLION YEARS B.P.
7 x 5 1/8 in. (937 grams, 17.8 x 13 cm).
A rectangular sedimentary matrix displaying a Mioplosus sp. fossil fish. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Lincolnshire, UK, collection.
FootnotesIn 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.
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AUCTIONS:
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Natural History - Large Mosasaur 'Marine Dinosaur' Tooth Pair
Cretaceous Period, 145-65 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
A pair of large Mosasaur sp. fossil teeth with remains of enamelling. 66 grams total, 49-58 mm
Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection. -
Natural History - Freeform Gogotte Display
Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
A substantial, naturally formed grey limestone gogotte. 975 grams, 14.2 cm
Early 1990s London collection. Acquired on the UK art market. From a private collection, Lancashire, UK
Gogottes were displayed at the chateau of Fontainebleau, France, collected by King Louis XIV (1638 -1715). They were used to decorate the formal gardens of the royal residence at Versailles, especially l’Encelade, Les Trois Fontaines and La Salle de Bal. Elsewhere, they were treasured in Song Dynasty China (960-1127 A.D.) In the 20th century, natural forms inspired the sculptor Henry Moore and others. -
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Pleistocene Period, 2.6 million-11,700 years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
A group of four eggshell sections from the giant elephant bird Aepyornis; held in a white card collector's tray. 56 grams total, 38-78 cm
From Madagascar. Acquired 1950s-1960s. From an old Bristol, UK, paleontological collection.