Knightia Fossil Fish Plate — Two Fish from Wyoming

Two little lives from a vanished lake.

This fossil fish plate preserves two fish against a warm, mottled stone background. Traces of their heads, backbones, fins and forked tails offer a glimpse into the freshwater world of Eocene Wyoming.

Specimen details

• Identification: Knightia eocaena, as identified on the accompanying supplier information card.
• Origin: Wyoming, USA — Fossil Lake, Green River Formation, according to the supplied information.
• Age: approximately 52 million years, Eocene. The supplier card gives 52.3 million years.
• Plate size: approximately 11 × 8.5 cm.
• Weight: 83 g, before packaging.
• Contents: the exact two-fish fossil plate photographed.

A glimpse of Fossil Lake

Knightia were small schooling freshwater fish related to herrings. They were abundant in ancient Fossil Lake, and Knightia is Wyoming’s state fossil. Fine lake sediments preserved their delicate skeletons, leaving a remarkable record of an ecosystem that existed around 52 million years ago.

Condition and presentation

Both fish are partially preserved, with areas of missing or indistinct detail. The plate has an irregular outline, chipped edges and mottled mineral colouring. Preparation and restoration history are not documented. Please inspect the original specimen photograph for condition.

The styled photograph includes two arrows to locate the fish and an AI-edited background; fine details may differ from the original. The vintage-style artwork imagines Knightia in life, with interpretive colours and appearance. It is an illustration, not a reconstruction of missing areas on this specimen, and no printed artwork is included.

Learn more: National Park Service — the fossil fishes of Fossil Lake.