fossil jurassic plant Brachyphyllum a conifer from Solnhofen area

Description

Beautiful branch of the fossil jurassic plant Brachyphyllum of the upper Jurassic time in the Solnhofen area. The conifer Brachyphyllum represents plant life washed into the Solnhofen Sea from the nearby shores.

The slab is 22,8 x 16,5 cm or 9 x 6,5 inch.

The fossil here comes from the Moernsheim Formation at the Muehlheim Quarry. The Moernsheim Formation, Muehlheim Subformation (Malm zeta 3) is directly on top of the Altmuehltal Formation, Eichstett Subformation (Malm zeta 1/2). Therefore it is up to 2 million years younger.

The Moernsheim Formation represents the end of the Solnhofen Lagune, that produced so many well preserved Jurassic Fossils. The fossil species in the Moernsheim Formation are somewhat the same as in the Eichstett Formation. Many of them continue. Some are new. And some have changed in evolutionary terms in those 2 million years since the beginning of the Solnhofen Lagune.

First overlooked the Moernsheim Formation is heavily studied in the last 14 years. The stone was not as usable as the lower Eichstett Formation. They are both “Plattenkalk, but one is more a limestone, the other (Moernsheim) is silicated. That is due to environmental changes. The Solnhofen Lagune opened up to the ocean at the end of its existence.

The opening of the now famous Muehlheim quarry near Solnhofen as a U-Dig quarry and the work of the enthusiastic owner and fossil collector Roland Poeschl changed that. Many new species where discovered at the Muehlheim quarry. Many of them don’t have names. The just recently (2017) discovered Alkmonavis poeschli represents probably the first real flying Dinosaur. 2 million years younger than the related glider Archaeopterix, it had the muscles to actually take off.

There are more surprises to be expected from the Muehlheim Quarry.

The fossil Jurassic plant Brachyphyllum for sale here is 12cm or 4.75 inches long and 11 cm or 4.25 inches wide.

Additional information