Solnhofen Limestone

The Solnhofen Limestone is a rock formation in Bavaria, Germany that contains amazing Jurassic Age fossils. They are preserved in exceptional detail; some fossils even include soft tissue and feathers! Over 600 species have been identified, including insects, fish, plants, dinosaurs, and pterosaurs.

The most famous fossil found in the Solnhofen Limestone is the Archeopteryx, an early bird whose existence proved that birds are modern-day dinosaurs. They had many features of a small carnivorous theropod dinosaur like teeth and a long, bony tail, alongside modern-day bird features like its feathered (clawed) wings.

Solnhofen Limestone Quarry

PePeEfe, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons