Fossil Fish Aspiration – Diplomystus Green River Formation Wyoming

Description

Up for consideration is a fossil fish aspiration from the Green River Formation, Wyoming.
Fossil was purchased at an I. M. Chait Natural History Auction (NH 0609) from June 28, 2009, lot #266 description:
266 FOSSIL FISH ASPIRATION
Diplomystus dentatus
Eocene
Green River Formation, Wyoming
The term “aspiration” refers to those rare fossils where one creature has died and is preserved in the act of eating another – an incredible snapshot in time preserved over millions of years.
The present example is a finely preserved specimen from the Fossil Lake, a Diplomystus with superb detail to its whole body, caught in the act of chowing down on a little sprat-like Knightia; the smaller fish no doubt choked the larger fish, leading to their double demise and resulting in this superb fossil, beautifully preserved in soft orange tan on a pale limestone ground, 7 7/8 x 12 ½ inches.
,000-4,000