Lot 140
Messel Oil Shale Pit, Messel, Germany, Middle Eocene (Geiseltalian), ca. 50 million years ago. This is an amazingly large fossil specimen of an extinct bowfin fish of the species Cyclurus kehreri (aka Amia). Cyclurus is a member of the Holosteans. This specimen shows SUPERB 3D high relief preservation. This specimen is extremely rare in this size. Several regions of the body and head protrude up off the resin matrix and the mouth is open with a complete view of a full array of intact sharp, conical teeth. The original, natural color in the fossil is beautiful with extensive preserved skin over the bones and spine. The fin rays are present with superb detail although the caudal fin is partly missing. The fossil is 100% GENUINE with NO RESTORATION NOR FABRICATION. Plate is resin like all Messel fossils. Much of the Messel fossils that now seem to find their way into the market are of a quality far worse than this example. Prior to the international protection and status of the Messel Pit, private collectors had access to the site and old collection specimens can be found occasionally on the market. Depending on their quality of preparation as well as preservation and type, fossils from Messel are extremely desirable to acquire and exceptional examples have proven to appreciate in value over time due to the rarity of their availability on the market not to mention the rarity of their natural occurrence. The Messel Pit represents an extremely rare occurrence in the fossil record hence its fame in the scientific world. Its fossils are extremely fascinating as well as important specimens in scientific history, and no collector wishing to exhibit an impressive collection should overlook including Messel fossils in their display, when possible. Size: 23.5" L x 7.25" W (59.7 cm x 18.4 cm)
One of the most scientifically famous fossil deposits in the world can be found at the Messel Pit near Messel, Germany, 35 km southeast of Frankfurt. The site occupies 70 hectares and the mine pit is 1000 meters long and 700 meters wide. The ground level of the area surrounding the pit is approximately 200 meters above sea level with the original pit floor extending to a depth of 60 meters. The oil shale deposits extend further below this floor to an additional 120 to 130 meters. The fossil deposits at Messel date back to the Middle Eocene Period ( Geiseltalian Period) or 50 million years ago. The site was a former lake during this time. The surrounding shore region is believed to have been subjected to periodic poisonous gas attacks emerging from the lake bed due to tectonic activity explaining the abundance of well-preserved terrestrial vertebrates near the original lake shore. The lake was also a deep body of water with nearly zero turbidity at the lower strata. This deeper part of the lake was also anoxic, that is, it had little to no dissolved oxygen so it could not support any aquatic life-forms that needed to breathe underwater. This unique set of circumstances meant that any fauna that died in the lake and sunk to the bottom would not have readily decomposed, been disturbed by predators or scattered by water currents. Combined with very low rate of sedimentary deposition resulted in the extraordinarily well-preserved fossils that are found now. The site is so rich in a unique array of preserved fauna that it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 and is now internationally protected. The UNESCO program aims to catalogue, name, and preserve sites around the world of remarkable cultural or natural importance for the common heritage of mankind. The majority of sites protected under UNESCO are cultural, not natural sites like Messel so its inclusion as a world "treasure" underlines its value and importance to both paleontologists as well as fossil collectors. The Messel Pit was originally mined for its bituminous shale and this oil shale was actively dug from 1859 to 1971. After mining operations ceased in 1971, the German government considered filling the open pit mine with garbage and converting the site to a waste dump despite the knowledge of its fossils. Fossils had been well-known from the Messel site with the first fossil found in 1875 of a well-preserved crocodile and despite the local governments' desire to destroy the site, serious scientific excavations had been taking place there since the early 1970's. Fortunately, the scientific community was successful in saving the Messel Pit and German legislation was enacted in 1991 and in 1992 to protect it as a national monument. Later, in 1995, the Messel Pit gained its UNESCO listing and international prominence and protection.
Provenance: imported from a German collection in 2008
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#113003
- Condition: Typical resin transfer method. 100% genuine with no fabrication to fossil.
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