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Icaronycteris index
Bats are an example of abrupt appearance in the fossils record, without much subsequent modification of their body plan. This exquisitely preserved and articulated specimen (about 15 cm in size) is on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, and comes from Eocene strata of Fossil Lake Basin, Wyoming.
Fossil bird
Birds have very delicate bones and are hard to find as articulated fossils. Here is a spectacular specimen from the Eocene of Fossil Lake Basin, Wyoming, on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.
Bothriolepis canadensis
Three specimens of a Devonian armored fish, fossilized together. What is preserved are the armored head and the fins of the fish, still articulated. The fish must have died together, are found in close proximity, and are exceptionally well preserved. Slab (about 20 cm in size) on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.
Cardipeltis bryanti
This is a specimen (several cm in size) of a fossil jawless fish, from the Devonian of Wyoming, on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. Several groups of fish (like the ostracoderms, to which this fish belongs) appear suddenly in the rock record, without many intermediates.
Panorama-whale
Specimen of partially excavated fossil mysticete whale, in which excellent preservation and articulation is observed.
Dastilbe crandalli
A fossilized example of predation. This Cretaceous fish from the Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin, Brazil, died while ingesting another fish. Specimen on display at the Paleontological Museum in Santana do Cariri, few cm in size.
Dinodiplura ambulacra
Exceptional preservation of organisms without hard skeletal parts, like this spider, requires special conditions for fossilization. Spiders appear abruptly in the fossil record. This is a Cretaceous specimen (few cm in size) of Dinodiplura ambulacra from the Crato Formation of Brazil, on display at the Paleontological Museum in Santana do Cariri.
Whale-CBL-10
Mysticete fossil whale complete and well articulated. Bones show excellent preservation. Note the flipper bones in the lower central part of the photograph.
Arariprhynus placidoi
Fossil of frogs are not particularly common, but the ones we find tend to be preserved in articulation. This is a specimen of a Cretaceous neobatrachian frog from the Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin, Brazil, on display at the Paleontological Museum in Santana do Cariri. Few cm in size.
Cannibalism
Cannibalism exhibited by the fish Dastilbe crandalli, Cretaceous Crato Fm., Brazil. Specimen on display at the Paleontological Museum in Santana do Cariri. Larger fish is about 10 cm in size. Unique environmental conditions are required for such spectacular preservation of fossil fish. This form of cannibalism is also interpreted as indicative of stressful environmental conditions.
Mesosaurus
Mesosaurus is an extinct, small-sized, Permian marine reptile. It is very important for the history of geology because its disjunct distribution (eastern South America and western Africa) was used to argue in favor of continental drift (an early version of plate tectonics). These impressions of a vertebral column and a few ribs were photographed at the Cruziero Quarry, where strata of the Irati Formation of the Paraná Basin of Brazil are exposed.
Brachyphyllum obesum
Fossil branches and leaves of an araucarian tree from the Cretaceous of the Crato Basin, Brazil. On display at the Paleontological Museum of Santana do Cariri
Fossil feather
Fossil feather from the Crato Formation, Cretaceous, Brazil. It is possible that this feather belonged to an individual of the bird species Cratoavis cearensis. Specimen on display at the Paleontological Museum of Santana do Cariri
Pterosaur
3D preservation of pterosaur bones, in articulation, is extremely rare and requires special conditions for fossilization. This example comes from a concretion within the Cretaceous Romualdo Formation, Brazil. On display at the Paleontological Museum in Santana Do Cariri
Lizard and fish
This iguanid lizard, on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, is perfectly preserved in full articulation. Minimal decay after death is necessary for this type of fossilization. Specimen from the Eocene of Fossil Lake Basin, Wyoming. Note the close association with some fossil fish also perfectly preserved.
Telmatrechus
An example of exceptional preservation of a fossilized water strider (Telmatrechus parallelus). Slab, a few cm in size, on display at the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, from the Eocene of Fossil Lake, Wyoming.
Aspidiophyllum obtusum
Flowering plants appear abruptly in the fossil record in Mesozoic strata. Here is an example of an exquisitely preserved sycamore-like leaf from the Cretaceous of Kansas. Specimen (several cm in size) on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.
Fish and frond
A perfectly preserved fish resting by a perfectly preserved palm frond...This slab on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, comes from Fossil Lake Basin, Wyoming, a locality that has yielded exquisite specimens of a variety of organisms. Special conditions are required for this kind of uncommon preservation.
Eocene prawn and herring
What do these two fossils share? They died together, they are spectacularly preserved, and they were buried rapidly. These specimens of a prawn (Bechleja rostrata) and a herring (Knightia eocaena) are from Eocene deposits of the Fossil Lake, Wyoming, on display at the Chicago Field Museum of Nature and History.
Araripescorpius ligabuei
The body plan of fossil scorpions is not much different from modern ones: an example of morphological stasis. This is a Cretaceous example from the Crato Formation of Brazil. Specimen on display at the Paleontological Museum in Santana do Cariri, few cm in size.
Fossilization styles
Two types of fossils preserved in close proximity. The herring-like fish, Dyplomystus dentatus, consists of actual bone remains. The gastropod is an internal mold made of sediment, with the original shell being dissolved. Slab is about 10 cm in size, on display at the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History. From Eocene deposits, Fossil Lake, Wyoming.
Mass mortality
5 different organisms (a soft-shelled turtle, 3 species of fish, and an insect) are preserved in close proximity on this slab from the Eocene Fossil Lake Basin, Wyoming (on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago).
Wasp
This specimen of a fossil wasp comes from Eocene strata of the Fossil Lake (Wyoming) and its body plan is quite similar to modern representatives of this type of organism. On display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.
Palm fronds
Fossil impressions of palm fronds exposed on a verticalized bedding surface of fine sandstone in the Maastrichtian Laramie Formation, near Golden CO. The integrity of individual fronds implies that minimal decomposition took place prior to burial. Scale bar is 40 cm long.