It's the little things.....

 For the staff and volunteers at the Age of Fishes Museum, it is the small details that become personal favourites—a fragment of a 360-million-year-old fin, an ancient eye socket, or a perfectly preserved section of fish scales. These are the treasures that may go unnoticed by all but the most dedicated and detail-oriented visitors, yet to us, they feel like old friends.

From the very first slab, found in 1955 just outside Canowindra, the closest inspection brings the greatest rewards. Have a look at the slab shown below and you will see a large fish towards the centre. This fish has been named Canowindra grossi (after its location, and Professor Walter Gross). The fascinating fact about this fossil is that it represents the only one of its kind ever found, either in Canowindra or elsewhere.

A patient walk around the Museum yields many rewards. You might overlook the intricate details in the fin of Mandagerai fairfaxi, the NSW state fossil emblem— a 1.8-meter-long carnivorous lobe-finned freshwater fish. However, a closer inspection reveals the extraordinary level of preservation in this remarkable specimen:

As you cross the aisle in the Museum's main gallery, you will encounter a slab that vividly captures the struggle for survival at the edge of the Canowindra billabong.

We are frequently asked to explain various aspects of fish anatomy, and a particular favourite among visitors are the eye sockets. These may be easily overlooked with a casual glance, but they are well worth pausing to observe. Once you have examined one closely, your ability to recognize the shape and structure of these fossils will increase significantly.

Another favourite in the Main Gallery of our Museum is the Groenlandaspis, a distinctive fish first discovered in Greenland in the 1930s. Since then, it has been found on all six continents. Despite its broad distribution, well-preserved specimens were rare until 1993, when the Canowindra excavation uncovered over 50 exceptional specimens. These are now considered the finest examples of Groenlandaspis in the world.

Its unique dorsal plate makes it easily recognizable when exploring our fossil gallery:

 Each of these small details, from delicate fins to ancient eye sockets, offer a window into the past, enhancing the Museum’s collection. It’s the smallest features that often leave the greatest impression when we take a moment to look closely.