Solnhofen Limestone

E52674

Solnhofen Limestone is a famous Late Jurassic lithographic limestone formation in Bavaria, Germany, renowned for its exceptionally well-preserved fossils, including the iconic Archaeopteryx.

Aliases (1)

Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Konservat-Lagerstätte
geologic formation
lithographic limestone
climateAtDeposition warm
color cream
light beige
contains arthropod fossils
cephalopod fossils
echinoderm fossils
fossil trackways
medusae fossils
country Germany
depositionalEnvironment lagoonal
restricted marine basin
diagenesis low-grade diagenetic alteration
economicUse building stone
lithographic stone
formationType carbonate platform deposit
fossilContent Archaeopteryx
crustaceans
fish
insects
marine invertebrates
plants
pterosaurs
fossilSiteType type locality for Archaeopteryx lithographica
geologicAge Tithonian
geologicPeriod Late Jurassic
geologicSystem Jurassic
grainSize very fine-grained
historicalUse printing lithography
knownFor Archaeopteryx specimens
exceptionally well-preserved fossils
preservation of soft tissues
lithology fine-grained limestone
micritic limestone
platy limestone
locatedIn Bavaria
Franconian Alb
namedAfter Solnhofen
oxygenConditions anoxic bottom waters
paleogeography northern margin of the Tethys Ocean
preservationType exceptional fossil preservation
region Altmühl Valley
researchImportance key site for study of Jurassic ecosystems
key site for study of bird origins
sedimentaryStructure lamination
thin bedding
stratigraphicUnitOf Southern Germany Jurassic sequence

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Jurassic Period
hasNotableFossilSite
Solnhofen Limestone ("Solnhofen")
namedAfter
Late Jurassic
notableFossilSite

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