And here the results from the Solnhofen #paleostream! This image depicts large parts of the terrestrial fauna of the Altmühltal Formation, the best understood part of the litographic limestone formations of Germany. There were several reasons for gong onto land despite...
All of these creatures being preserved in marine sediments. For one it makes it possible to show all the cool pterosaurs and other stem birds from here. On the other hand, more importantly, it offers the possibility to show the environment many of these animals occupied.
Popular images of the Solnhofen islands show them as tropical paradises, often with cliffs and tall trees. The opposite appears to be the case. The islands were probably small, arid, flat and had vegetation that can be better described as shrubbery. Small conifers...
and bennettitaleans are the most common plants. The beaches were probably blinding white, consisting of sand that formed from broken down corals and sponges, as these islands were often not much more than reefs peaking above the waves. Formations/localities that housed the...
typical Solnhofen fauna form a long corridor through southern Germany but localities in France show similar preservation. The Atlmühltal Formation has iconic taxa like Archaeopteryx and Pterodactylus and was therefore the first of these formations we covered.
The size charts this time were a collaborative effort between me and 3 more friends.
As you can see there the local insect fauna had some absolute bangers. When you want large insect interacting with dinosaurs or pterosaurs: this is your place!
