Solnhofen limestone
The limestone from Solnhofen is considered one of the world's most important fossil deposits.
The small town of Solnhofen is located in the Altmühltal Nature Park in southern Germany. There are several quarries in the area from which Solnhofen limestone is mined.
In the Upper Jurassic, the landscape in southern Germany was characterized by a tropical, warm, shallow sea. These were good living conditions for calcium-excreting organisms.
The salt content in these lagoons was significantly higher, which prevented dead life forms from decaying. Since the soft parts of the creatures did not rot, the fossils found today are extremely detailed.
He became famous Solnhofer limestone through the discovery of the ancient bird Archaeopteryx. All 10 specimens discovered so far come from this region.
Image sources:
Solnhofener_Plattenkalk_-_Tektonik: Guido Radig, CC BY-SA 4.0
Archaeopteryx_lithographica_(Berlin_specimen): H. Raab (User: Vesta), CC BY-SA 3.0
Solnhofen-Eichstätt Lagoons: Gerschermann – Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)