Fossil dragonfly (Aeschnogomphus intermedius)
Place Collected(Object)
: Europe, Germany, Bavaria, S Frankenalb, Eichstatt Date: Verbatim Acquisition Date: 1976
Dimensions:22 (W) x 38 (L) cm
Object number: ROMIP32540
DescriptionSolnhofen Limestone: A window on the past, The Solnhofen Limestone in Bavaria, Germany, has been quarried for over 200 years, to make lithographic plates for printing. The limestone was deposited in a series of shallow salty lagoons, 150 million years ago, between reefs in an ancient sea. Many of the Solnhofen fossils have impressions of soft tissues, which are not usually preserved. Solnhofen fossils include the remains of sea creatures that washed in from adjacent waters, such as jellyfish, squids, and a large variety of crabs and shrimps. The beautifully preserved remains of insects, early birds, and flying reptiles are also found, probably blown in by strong offshore winds, as are the rare remains of terrestrial vertebrates such as small dinosaurs. This large fossil dragonfly is very well preserved, and shows the arrangement of veins in the delicate membranous wings.