New specimen of Archaeopteryx from Bavaria

[Halichoeres]

Beautiful new specimen preserved alongside an ammonite, probably Neochetoceras:



This is the oldest specimen of Archaeopteryx known, according to the authors (open access): https://peerj.com/articles/4191/

[Lanthanotus]

Thanks once more for sharing all those papers, Halichoeres

[Faelrin]

I wonder if this effects how it should be restored (such as the retractable claw thing, etc). Pretty neat that it was found alongside an ammonite, but I have to wonder what that little clam shell like thing on it is. I think it is safe to say 2018 is off to a good start for paleontology.

[Neosodon]

So how old exactly? I must have missed it.

[Lanthanotus]

The Solnhofen Plattenkalk developed in an archipelago of very small islands in a very shallow sea. Ammonites and mussles aaswell as a lot of differnt fish are very abundant there. Shells and ammonites as the one shown above can be found there in almost any given stone you turn or hit on. I am not sure about the species though, but me and my family found dozen of stones like that last summer - lacking something only remotely as important or stunning as that Archaeopteryx for sure

If you are interested in more pics of the Solnhofen Plattenkalk hit here.

[Faelrin]

Thanks for the link. There's a lot of interesting fossils there. It's nice to see so many well preserved small critters that were present during the Mesozoic. They were also an important part of the ecosystem and far too often they are overlooked in favor of the giants of that time.

[Halichoeres]

So how old exactly? I must have missed it.

Kimmeridgian/Tithonian boundary, meaning around 152 Ma