The Rock Shed Fossil Gallery

Crinoid Plaque

Crinoids are a fascinating species, and this fossil is equally as fascinating. Crinoids are a filter feeding, plant like animal and first appeared on the earth's surface over 500 million years ago in the Cambrian Era. Today a close relative of the Crinoid still survives at the bottom of the ocean and is usually referred to as a "sea lily." This particular Crinoid fossil is from Morocco and weighs approximately 75 lbs and is fairly large with measurements of 30 by 35 inches. As you can see this fossil has multiple Crinoids covering the plaque and is truly stunning.

$3000.00

Moroccan Ammonite

This ammonite is an extremely well preserved specimen from Morocco. This ammonite in the matrix measures 10 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches, outside of the matrix the ammonite alone measures 8 by 6 1/2 inches. It weighs approximately 12 pounds. The backside has an area where the fossil was crushed, probably the cause of death. An excellent addition to any collection!

Ammonites are extinct members of the cephalopod group of mollusks. Only a limited number of species have survived to the present day which includes the squid and the chambered nautilus. Ammonites had a multi-chambered shell, and added more chambers as it grew, always living in the outer chamber.  They lived in the Cretaceous period some 63 to 130 million years ago.

$275.00

Large Schafite 

This is a real collectors item. This specimen, from South Dakota, shows rainbow coloring amidst the white on the surface of the shell to make it a colorful specimen. The larger Schafite is removable from the matrix, the back side of the matrix has a smaller Schafite that is attached to the matrix.  The larger Schafite measures 4" by 3 1/2" and weighs a little less than a pound at 14 ounces. The matrix  is approximately 6" by 6" by 6" and weighs 6 pounds. The smaller Schafite on the backside of the matrix measures 2" by 1 1/2 ". The Schafite is related to an ammonite, it lived in the Cretaceous period some 63 to 130 million years ago.

$350.00

Stingray and Two Fish Specimens

This is an absolutely amazing piece, a large stingray measuring 22" by 12 1/2 " and two fish measuring . The piece as a whole including the matrix measures  and weighs approximately 100 pounds. The stingray or Helobotis radians and the two fish or  are both very well preserved with very little restoration work to the fossils. However the design of this plaque was created by placing the stingray into a nicer more decorative plaque with the two fossil fish. This is a common practice for decorative fossil plaques, though some vendors might not mention it.

   In southwest Wyoming (and parts of Colorado and Utah) in the Green River Formation are found some of the world's most outstanding specimens of fossil fish.  The Green River system was composed of three lakes:  Lake Ulinta, Lake Gosiute and Fossil Lake.  These Eocene Lakes lay in a series of intermountain basins formed by geological events that uplifted the Rocky Mountains during the early Tertiery time.
The Climate was much different from the desert-like climate of this area today.  Both the fauna (crocodiles, alligators, boa constrictors and some subtropical fish families) and the flora (such as large palm trees) indicate a climate much like that found along the Gulf Coast today.  Large amounts of ash found in the sediments indicate that volcanoes were particularly active at this time. The fossils found in the Green River Formation are between 40-60 Million years old and are in excellent preservation.

$4500.00