Eocene Green River Bird Feather with Insects
Bird Feather with Insects
Green River Formation
Parachute Creek Member
Middle Eocene
Uintah County, Utah
Green River Formation
Parachute Creek Member
Middle Eocene
Uintah County, Utah
This specimen is a small but good fossilized bird feather from the Green River Formation. The feather has excellent detail. The feather is about 1 cm long. Also seen on this specimen are a variety of fossil insects including several beetles (Coleoptera), gnat (Sackenia), crane fly (Tipula), and fly (Plecia).
Even though the Green River Formation is most well known for its fossil fishes, in terms of biological diversity the Eocene birds that lived around the ancient lake were a more diverse faunal community. There are presently known at least 34 species and 27 families with others still not scientifically described. The fossil birds of the Green River are among the best preserved in the world and the avifauna provides documentation of the early diversification of major lineages after the Late Cretaceous mass extinction.
Even though the Green River Formation is most well known for its fossil fishes, in terms of biological diversity the Eocene birds that lived around the ancient lake were a more diverse faunal community. There are presently known at least 34 species and 27 families with others still not scientifically described. The fossil birds of the Green River are among the best preserved in the world and the avifauna provides documentation of the early diversification of major lineages after the Late Cretaceous mass extinction.