Natural History - Polished Orthoceras Tower Display

Displaying a fossil Knightia sp. fish. 553 grams, 15 cm



Acquired during the 1980s. From the Pradi Collection, Boston, U.S.A.

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.

Comprising three matrices displaying four partial Ophiuroidea sp. brittle stars; held in a white card collector's tray. 410 grams total, 79-97 mm

Fine condition.

From El Kaid Errami, Tafilalt, Morocco, North Africa. Ex an old German paleontological collection.

On a rectangular matrix displaying the complete skeleton. 3.8 kg, 31 x 23 cm



From Xingyi, Guizhou, China. Acquired 1950s-1960s. From an old Bristol, UK, paleontological collection.

Keichousaurus was a late-Triassic marine reptile, and a member of the Pleurosaur family, and went extinct 250 million years ago during the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event. They were specialised fish eaters, and were highly unusual amongst marine reptiles in that they gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs.