2.7" Fossil Dragonfly (Aeschnogomphus) - Solnhofen Limestone

This is a 2.7" fossil dragonfly (Aeschnogomphus) from Solnhofen Limestone, Germany. Complete fossil dragonflies are rare finds in this formation and there are several species present. There is good wing detail in this specimen, and several of the legs can also be seen fossilized. An excellent specimen. There are a number of repaired cracks in the limestone.

The Solnhofen limestone is a famous Upper Jurassic lagerstätte in Germany. It is where one of the most famous fossils of all time, Archaeopteryx, was found. The fine-grained limestone makes excellent building material, which has led to heavy quarrying over the past two centuries. In the process, some spectacular fossils were unearthed, including fossil dragonflies, fish, pterosaurs, shrimp, horseshoe crabs, and many more.

This area represents an ancient archipelago at the edge of a sea. Due to high salt content, the lowest levels in the water column could not support much life and were largely devoid of oxygen. This lack of oxygen and scavengers on the bottom of the sea led to beautiful fossil preservation.



Comes with acrylic stand.
SOLD
DETAILS
SPECIES
Aeschnogomphus intermedius
LOCATION
Eichstatt, Bavaria, Germany
FORMATION
Solnhofen Limestone
SIZE
2.7", 6.4 x 6.4" Limestone
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#113343
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