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The occurrence of an "aspiration" - one fish in the act of swallowing another - is extremely rare in the fossil record. Here is a very fine example from the famed Green River Formation in Wyoming. Renowned for its high quality fossils, this formation has yielded over 19 species of fish, of which the ancient herring Diplomystus was one of its most distinct. This large example has been caught in the act of swallowing, head first, a smaller Diplomystus fish. The smaller Diplomystus still protrudes from the mouth and presumably choked the larger fish to death. If you look closely, you can see the ribs of the smaller fish in the mouth of the larger one, and its large, thick lips are fossilized in a choking or regurgitating pose, pushing outward. And this is not just some small Trout swallowing a tiny minnow, by any means! This is an extremely displayable and collectible plate of two of THE SAME SPECIES OF FISH fossilized forever in the throes of a death struggle! That cannibal!
A Certificate of Authenticity from EXTINCTIONS is included with this specimen.
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