183 million-year-old three-dimensionally preserved Fish Head Fossil Found in Gloucestershire.

The stunning "Big Mouth Billy Bass" style fossil was found in a cow field in Gloucestershire , England last month during an archaeological dig for other fossilised sea creatures , it's believed to be a one of a kind find.

Of the more than 180 fossils logged during the dig, one of the standout specimens was a three-dimensionally preserved fish head that belonged to Pachycormus, an extinct genus of ray-finned fishes. The fossil, which researchers found embedded in a hardened limestone nodule poking out of the clay, was exceptionally well preserved and contained soft tissues, including scales and an eye. The 3D nature of the pose of the specimen's head and body was such that the researchers couldn't compare it to any other previous find.

"The closest analogue we could think of was Big Mouth Billy Bass," said Neville Hollingworth, a field geologist with the University of Birmingham who discovered the site with his wife, Sally, a fossil preparator and the dig’s coordinator. "The eyeball and socket were well preserved. Usually, with fossils, they're lying flat. But in this case, it was preserved in more than one dimension, and it looks like the fish is leaping out of the rock," Hollingworth told Live Science.
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The archaeologists who discovered the fossil were so impressed with it the contracted a 3D modeling company to create an interactive 3d model of the head linked bellow.

183 million years old. Lower Jurassic. Upper Lias.

Discovered by Sally and Neville Hollingworth at Court Farm, Stroud owned by Adam Knight

Prepared by Sally Hollingworth
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a reply to: gortex

That's in incredible condition for 183 million years old and the 3d model is a great way to see the detail.

a reply to: gortex


If only we could see the things it have seen

Kinda resembles a bowfin.

a reply to: gortex

Wow, nice find. I love fossils.

That's awesome!