Ichnofossils of an Eocene Lakeside

Description: A fine example of several tracks of an undetermined shorebird member of the Chadriiformes, this one has a few other hints at the environment as well. This diverse order today contains some 349 species in 18 families which radiated rapidly at the end of the Cretaceous to fill various niches by adaptations associated to their feeding techniques.Notice the tiny pits diotted across the slab, signs of a brief rain shower that occurred after the tracks were made. There are several tracks present on the other side as well, in addition to marks made by wriggling nematodes that perhaps were a prey item. The Green River Formation deposits of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah are best known for their immaculately-preserved fish, but other examples are known as well, as this specimen attests, affording a glimpse of a brief moment nearly 50 million years ago.