Theres a reason most of our fossil animals are just bones or shells—the hard parts of an animal are sturdier and more likely to survive the fossilization process. Usually, soft parts like skin or hair decompose too quickly for them to preserve. So, what happened with this fish? You can see its skin and fins and tail as well as its tiny, delicate bones. This fish is from the Green River Formation—a group of rocks that preserve ancient lake environments. In order for something to get preserved so well, it needs to be buried quickly and in sediment that doesn’t contain much oxygen. The lakes preserved in the Green River Formation were deep and cold with almost no oxygen—the perfect environment to make exceptional fossils
Watch this short video to learn mroe about this fossil fish!
