UNUSUAL FOSSIL SHARK SPECIMEN
Xenacanthus sp.
Permian
Germany
A finely preserved fossil, this creature appears to be a fish, but close inspection of the finger-like paddle bones indicate that it may have lived an amphibious existence. It boasts a mass of slender ribs and a large bony head, near which lies what appears to be a barb, possibly the cause of the ancient creature's demise. With good three-dimensionality, excellent bone texture and a terrific black patina, it is dramatically presented on a 14 3/4 x 34 inch dark gray-brown matrix, in a fabric-backed wooden frame measuring 21 5/8 x 41 1/2 inches