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Coelecanth fossil
of 240 million years |
50-Million-Year-Old
Fossil Fish |
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This 50
million-year-old fish was fossilized in the process of
swallowing another fish, discovered in the Green River
region of Wyoming, USA. |
This 50-million-year-old
fossil fish, Genus priscacara, dating back to the Eocene
epoch, was also discovered at Green River in Wyoming,
where some of the world’s best-known fossil discoveries
have been made. As with this fish, other fossils discovered
in this region have preserved a large portion of their
soft tissues. |
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Another
50-million-year-old fossil fish. |
A portion of this 50-million-year-old
Eocene freshwater bass fossil (Mioplosus labracoides)
exhibits fine preservation. Today, similar species to
this live in fresh waters in the northern hemisphere
and in Asia, Europe and New Zealand, identical to their
50-million-year-old counterparts. |
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Phareodus encaustus
is readily distinguished by its long pectoral fin and
large pointed teeth, which testify to the fish's likely
carnivorous behavior. This fossil, 50 million years old,
is identical to present-day specimens and is truly an
astonishing specimen by all measures: size, preservation
and preparation. |
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A
Bear Fossil Dating Back 300,000 to 100,000 Years |
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This bear (Ursus
spelaeus), which species is still alive today, was
discovered in the Ural Mountains in Russia. This fossil
dates back 300,000 to 100,000 years. |
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146-
to 65-Million-Year-Old Neuropteran Fossils
The first neuropterans are believed
to have appeared during the Permian, almost 300 million
years ago. The order is highly diverse today, including
insects known by the common names of lacewings, ant
lions and snake flies. Some 4,700 extant species
of Neuroptera are known. These fossils are identical
to present-day specimens. |
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An extremely rare
owlfly larva from the family Ascalaphidae in fossil
amber which is between 146 and 65 million years old. |
A 2-millimeter
neuropteran in amber (146-65 million years old). |
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An exquisitely-preserved
28-millimeter lacewing from Liaoning, China. |
Approximately
125 million years old. |
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Insect
fossils dating back some 125 million years, belonging
to 100 families and 500 different species, have been
unearthed in the Chinese region of Hebei. No examples
of such splendid variety and fine detail have been
encountered anywhere else in the world. As can be seen
in this photograph, there is exceedingly fine detail
in the wings. The fossils obtained here clearly reveal
that insects have undergone no change whatseover right
down to the present day. |
This
fossil seahorse, found in Rimini, Italy, belongs to
the lower Pliocene (5 to 4 million years ago). The
genus is still extant today, living in subtropical
and tropical waters in various parts of the world. |
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