Join us on an expedition 50 million years back in time

Tynsky's Rare Fossils

The rare fossils that are found in the Green River Formation include turtles, garfish, asineops, palm fronds, paddlefish, sting rays, amia and amphiplaga.

In our quarry we also have found a 13' crocodile, birds, a mammal and the first ever complete "three toed horse".

We have also found plant life and insects.  The plant life includes branches, berries, and leaves.  Insects include flies, mosquitos, wasps, bees, waterstriders and dragonflies.

Here are some examples of Rare Fossils found at our quarry:

Stingray
The stingray was a freshwater species. They fed on the bottom in shallow water. They are found up to 36” in length.

Paddlefish
Paddlefish are the rarest fish described from the Green River Formation. This species is not a filter-feeder, rather it hunted and devoured other fishes. Paddlefish can be found up to around 60” in length.

Gar Fish
Two species of gars are found in Fossil Lake, the simplex and the atrox. Like living gar species, fossil gars were fish eaters. One species was so large as an adult that only alligators and crocodiles preyed on it. This is the largest fish of the Green River Formation. Gars grew up to 66” in length.

Amphiplaga
Closely related to neither trout nor perch, this is a small member of the trout perch family. Its members today are restricted to nearshore freshwater environments of North America. They get up to 6” in length.

Dragonfly
Dragonflies existed in the Green River Formation, but are very rare. Fossil dragonflies look very similar to modern day dragonflies and are about the same size.

Palm Frond
Fossil Palms are found in the Green River Formation in Fossil Lake. They are very similar to those living today in Florida and California. They have been found up to 36” in length.

Trionyx Turtle
This species of turtle found in Fossil Lake was a freshwater turtle. They were known to live mostly in the water. They range in size anywhere from 2” long to 5’4” long.

307-877-6885

tynsky@tynskysfossils.com