BVP Fieldtrip to Solnhofen Limestone (Jurassic of Germany) + Museum visit

[ziggycardon]

Hi Everyone!

 

A couple of days ago I returned from a fieldtrip to the Solnhofen region in Germany. The trip was organized by my fossilclub the BVP as well as my friend and professional paleontologist Jonathan Wallaard who led the trip.

During our 4 day stay we visited 3 different quarries and the Burgermeister-Müller-Museum in Solnhofen.

 

The Solnhofen Limestone is probably one of the most famous Konservat-Lagerstätte in the World. Dating back to the late Jurassic, Tithonian around 152 - 150 million years ago.

During this time this area was a tropical archipelago in the Tethys Sea with many small islands and shallow lagoons.
Due to its exceptional preservation we have an extensive record of the marine fauna as well a some knowledge of terrestrial species which inhabited the islands (which should have been located around 30 km from the mainland if I heard correctly from one of the quarry owners.)

These seas were home to multiple species of ammonites, belemnites and squids; crinoïds like the free-floating Saccocoma; Echinoïds and Starfish; Horseshoe crabs, lobsters, crabs and schrimps;

as well as sponges, corals, jellyfish, bivalves, gastropods and brachiopods (which are relatively rare finds.)

But also a large diversity of bony fish (some of which could reach multiple meters in length), Hybodont sharks, Chimaera's as well as marine reptiles like the Ichthyosaur "Aegirosaurus", marine crocodiles, turtles and Pleurosaurus.
The islands were home to Cycads and Araucariaceae trees, but also by many insects like dragonflies and beetles, reptiles like Sphenodonts and Squamates.
Though the most famous of its inhabitants must have been the pterosaurs like Pterodactylus and Rhamphorhynchus as well as some dinosaurs like Compsognathus, Juravenator, Sciurumimus, Archaeopteryx and Alcmonavis.

 

Our first day of digging was on friday (may 19th) at the BGM hobbysteinbruch in Solnhofen which is part of the Mörnsheim Formation (150,8 - 150 mya).

https://www.solnhofen-fossilienatlas.de/siteinfo.php?section=sites&siteid=75&sitename=Solnhofen Hobbybruch

The main fossils that could be found in this quarry were ammonites, aptychi, coprolites as well as fish.

Our group of around 30 people assembled at the quarry at 10 o'clock and after a few words from the quarry owner and Jonathan we set of to dig.

 

 

An overview of the quarry before we started digging.

 

 

A couple of minutes later...

 

 

Jonathan pointed me and my good friend Tom to a good place to dig and so we started cleaning debri so we could start digging.
Since the Plattenkalk is layered it is always a good stategy to find some plateaus where so can hack away chunks which you can later split (which I suppose most of you already know).

Pic of my hole in which I was working

 

Unfortunately it turns out that the spot I picked must have been a public toilet as pretty much everything I found the first half of the day where coprolites, which turned into a running joke that day

I was lucky enough to find a fish early one, though still entirely entombed in the rock but Jonathan warned us to look for bones into the cracked stones and that's how I managed to find it.
Will require quite some prep work though.

 

Later that day I started finding multiple Aptychi, Ammonites as well as a rare Bivalve.

A plate with 3 ammonites (probably Neochetoceras steraspis)

 

 

An ammonite with the Aptychus still in place which was found by one of the other members.

 

 

Our club founder Luc, found this large piece of decorative slab which almost looked like it is petrified wooden dining table.
Not a fossil but still cool as heck.

 

 

And Tinneke managed to find a lovely fish jaw which was excavated by the help of Jonathan.

 

While I didn't take pictures of the following, quite some members found fossil fish (some around 40 cm in lenght) and crustaceans like schrimp.

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On our 2nd day (saturday, may 20th) our group met at the Bergér quarry (Blumenberg) in Eichstätt at 10 o'clock.

This quarry is part of the Solnhofen Formation (152 - 150,8 mya), unfortunately this quarry is a little bit less rich is fossils (although the preservation is better).

https://www.solnhofen-fossilienatlas.de/siteinfo.php?section=sites&siteid=49&sitename=Blumenberg (Eichstätt)

The free-floating crinoïd "Saccocoma" is the most common find here, as well as ammonites, coprolites and small fish.
Crustaceans can be found here too and this quarry is known for it's insects like beetles and dragonflies albeit rare (even a butterfly was discovered in this quarry).

Another amazing find from this quarry is a complete Ichthyosaur and the famous Berlin Archaeopteryx was find near this quarry.

 

Me and Tom picked a spot close to the Jonathan and the rest of the Boxtel Team (Jonathan & Tinneke were also with us at the field trip in Poland so we all sticked with eachother)

 

Our digspot:

 

My favorite find of the day, a plate with 3 high quality Saccocoma tenella (the negative plate is equally as impressive)

 

 

The Boxtel team at it

 

 

Jonathan preparing his office for the day

 

 

A large Subplanites which is 3d preserved found by Jonathan.

 

 

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Some photo's of the quarry and its current inhabitants

 

A nice dendrite found by Tom our club's president

 

Later that evening we went for dinner in Eichstätt with Tom our president, other Tom with whom I shared the dig holes, and the folk from the Oertijd museum in Boxtel.
Like always we had a great evening talking about fossils and adventures!

Edited May 24, 2023 by ziggycardon

[ziggycardon]

On the 3rd day (sunday, may 21st) we went to our 3rd and final quarry, the Besuchersteinbruch in Muhlheim.

https://www.solnhofen-fossilienatlas.de/siteinfo.php?section=sites&siteid=68&sitename=Mühlheim

According the Jonathan we saved the best for last as this is the richest quarry of the 3 and one that delivers some of the best fossils from the region.
Not long ago new Archaeopteryx specimen has been discovered here (which is currently being described and examined), as well as the bird/dino Alcmonavis.

 

A quarry with a view:

 

 

 

 

Since Jonathan and the Boxtel team were going to stay to dig here for another 4 days, me and Tom decided to join their excavation hole.

First we cleared all the debris, swept away all the dust and started further excavating our communal hole.

 

 

Unfortunately it was incredibly hot and sunny that day (a bit to hot for this quarry).
So around 14h me, Tom & Chelsea headed to the outdoor cafetaria for a drink and some shade.
After we were cooled, we headed back to our hole.

 

 

Our digsite in the distance

 

 

 

 

A rare photo of me digging

 

 

Since the Boxtel team was staying for another four days they had to make sure no one came to steal their dighole

 

 

I had an amazing time with great fossils and surrounded by amazing people who I call friends.

The last day I managed to find a fish head, some nice ammonites, fish scales and a sponge.

I haven't photographed any of my finds yet, but I will and when I do I shall post them in this topic.

 

I'll post the photo's of the museum in the next 2 days

 

 

[Ludwigia]

10 minutes ago, ziggycardon said:

I haven't photographed any of my finds yet, but I will and when I do I shall post them in this topic.

 

And thanks for the great report!

[jpc]

Great report.  I have been to all three of these quarries and the Muhlheim quarry was by far my favorite as well. 

 

[Everhardus]

Nice report, thanx !

[Tidgy's Dad]

Thanks for sharing this excellent report with us, Ziggy. 

I look forward to seeing the rest of your finds and the museum visit.

 

[FranzBernhard]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

As a strong introvert, these report will sure trigger some nightmares during the coming nights . Very glad again, to have "vast" areas in different formations for me alone.

 

Franz Bernhard

[Yoda]

@ziggycardon

 

Looks like a fantastic trip.

A real privilege to collect at this iconic location 

[ziggycardon]

On 5/25/2023 at 12:37 AM, jpc said:

Great report.  I have been to all three of these quarries and the Muhlheim quarry was by far my favorite as well. 

 

Thank you.

Yeah Jonathan did indeed save the best for last!

Many great things have been found there, the Boxel team found disarticulated Coelacanth in the days after we all left.

 

I hope you made some nice finds as well during you stay.

 

A picture of the Boxel pit from Muhlheim after 4 days of digging:

 

 

On 5/25/2023 at 12:47 AM, Tidgy's Dad said:

Thanks for sharing this excellent report with us, Ziggy. 

I look forward to seeing the rest of your finds and the museum visit.

 

Thank you! I'll be posting the museum photo's today!

 

On 5/25/2023 at 10:56 AM, FranzBernhard said:

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

As a strong introvert, these report will sure trigger some nightmares during the coming nights . Very glad again, to have "vast" areas in different formations for me alone.

 

Franz Bernhard

Thank you!

 

Yeah it was quite buzzing with people indeed!
Especially the Berger quarry was very crowded... in the afternoon there was a group of 100 children!

Luckily for us we were digging in an edge of the quarry that didn't have that much folk present, so we dind't experience to much of the crowd.
People a big more in the middle or near the entrance had to keep an eye on their digsites when they went to get something cause the children would sometimes nick some of their finds if they weren't looking.

 

49 minutes ago, Yoda said:

@ziggycardon

 

Looks like a fantastic trip.

A real privilege to collect at this iconic location 

Thank you!
And indeed, love being there just for the sake of it being such a famous and important fossils site.

 

[ziggycardon]

On our last day (monday, may 22nd) we visited the Burgermeister-Müller-Museum in Solnhofen.

 

A wall with large ammonites.

 

 

Mörnsheimer subarchipelago (Daiting & Langenaltheim)

1) Fossil fish

2) Palaeocyparis conifer

3 & 4) Ammonites

5) Palm-fern like plant

 

 

Solnhofen sub-archipelago (Solnhofen & Langenaltheim)

1) Anaethalion fish

2) Eichstaettia fish

3) Palaeastacus decopod

4) Conifer

5) Eryon

6) Hybonoticeras ammonite

 

 

Western Eichstätt sub-archipelago (Eichstätt)

1) Mesolimulus horseshoe crab

2) Caturus fish

3) Tarsophlebia dragonfly

4) Mesobelostomum water bug

5) Saccocoma multiplate

6) Ophiopsis fish

 

 

Painten fossils

1) Furo fish

2) Tharsis fish

3) Tetragramma sea-urchin

4) Cycadopteris see-fern

 

 

Brunn Sub-archipelago

1) Gigacerina saemanni

2) Pholidophorus fish

3) Zamites pomilio

 

 

Ammonite & Belemnite block from Ebermannstadt

 

 

Giant predatory fish (Strobilodus giganteus)

 

 

Plesiotheuthis (squid)

 

 

Orthocormus roeperi

 

 

Hypsocormus insignis

 

 

Orthocormus

 

 

 

 

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1) Belemnite tentacles with hooklets

2) Hibolithes semisulcatus belemnite

3) Acanthoteuthis squid

 

 

1 & 2) Plesiotheuthis prisca squids

3) Leptoteuthis gigas squid

 

 

1) Saccocoma tenella

2) Lumbricaria Coprolite of squid or ammonite

3) Saccocoma multiplate

 

 

Eulithota fasciculata jellyfish

 

 

Rhizostomites admirandus jellyfish

 

 

Ichthyosaur found in Painten

 

 

Ichthyosaur

 

 

Eurysternum turtle

 

 

Pycodont fish

 

 

Pycodont fish

 

 

Arduafrons prominoris

 

 

1) Gyronchus macropterus

2) Gyronchus macropterus

3) Propterus elongatus

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Pleurosaurus goldfussi

 

 

Cricosaurus suevicus marine crocodile

 

 

Palaeocarcharias stromeri

 

 

Pseudorhina alifera

 

 

Pseudorhina alifera

 

 

Ischyodus quenstedti Ratfish

 

 

Spathobatis bugesiacus

 

 

1) Ophiurella speciosa (brittlestar)

2) Muensteria vermicularis (worm tubes)

3, 4, 5) Comaturella pinnata (Crinoïd)

6) Sea fan

 

 

1 & 2) Sponges

3 & 4) Schweglerella strobli (Isopod)

 

 

1) Cycleryon propinquus

2) Eryon curvieri

 

 

1) Aeger spinipes

2) Udora brevispina

3) Antrimpos nododon

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Giant plate with Leptolepis sprattiformis

 

 

The fish wall

 

 

Holophagus penicillatus (Coelacanth)

 

 

1) Furo praelongus

 

 

1) Coelacanth

 

 

Fish

 

 

 

 

 

Coelacanth

 

 

Pycodont fish

 

 

Aspidorhynchus

 

 

Ray

 

 

 

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Famous horshoecrab with tracks (Mesolimulus)

 

 

Schrimp with tracks

 

 

1) Starfish + track

2) Decapod + track

3) Decapod burrows

4) Bivalve traces

 

 

Starfish plate

 

 

1) Gastropod traces

2) Worm traces

3) Marine Leech

4) Eunicites atavus (segmented worm)

 

 

Brittlestar multiplate

 

 

Laevaptychus & Crinoid stems

 

 

Fish eating fish

 

 

Amiopsis lepidota

 

 

1) Fish coprolite

2) Ammonite

3) Fish

 

 

Giant jellyfish

 

 

Horseshoe crab trackway

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Libys superbus (Coelacanth)

 

 

1) Dragonfly (Aeschnogomphus intermedius)

2) Dragonfly (Anisophlebia helle)

 

 

1) Dragonfly (Urogomphus giganteus)

2) Dragonfly (Cymatophlebia longialata)

 

 

Kalligramma haeckeli (Lacewing)

 

 

1) Beetle

2) Mesuropetala muensteri (Dragonfly

3) Beetle

4) Propygolampis bronni

5) Pycnophlebia robusta (Locust)

6) Archegetes neuropterum (Lacewing)

 

 

Multiple plants

 

 

Conifers

 

 

Conifers

 

 

Palaeocyparis princeps (conifer)

 

 

 

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Multiple turtles

 

 

Pleurosaurus ginsburgi

 

 

Sphenofontis velserae

 

 

Crocodilaemus robustus

 

 

Juvenile tuatara

 

 

Tuatara

 

 

Tuatara

 

 

Ardeosaurus breviceps

 

 

Homoeosaurus maximiliani

 

 

Homoeosaurus maximiliani

 

 

Homoeosaurus maximiliani

[Yoda]

@ziggycardon

What an amazing collection of fossils.

 

Especially the Coelacanths 

 

 

Question about the dig site. 

Are you allowed to keep whatever you find ?? 

Edited May 26, 2023 by Yoda

[ziggycardon]

Europasaurus holgeri found in Northern Germany, late Jurassic (middle Kimmeridgian, about 154 million years ago)

 

 

Sciurumimus albersdoerferi

 

 

Rhamphorhynchus being eaten by Aspidorhynchus

 

 

Pterodactylus kochi

 

 

Pterodactylus antiquus

 

 

Pterodactylus kochi

 

 

Pterodactylus sp.

 

 

Rhamphorhynchus longicaudus

 

 

Pterosaur bones

 

 

Rhamphorhynchus

 

 

Rhamphorhynchus

 

Pterosaur bones

 

 

Rhamphorhynchus wings + wing membranes

 

 

Rhamphorhynchus

 

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Cycnorhamphus suevicus

 

 

Rhamphorhynchus

 

 

Archaeopteryx bavarica (nr 7, München specimen)

 

 

Wellnhoferia grandis (Archaeopteryx nr 6 Solnhofen specimen)

 

 

Archaeopteryx lithographica (nr 9, the Bürgermeister-Müller specimen)

 

 

 

These are the last of the Solnhofen Limestone fossils from the museum, I hope you enjoyed it!
There was also a small exhibition about Messel fossils, should some of you be interested in that I could also post those.

Edited May 26, 2023 by ziggycardon

[ziggycardon]

25 minutes ago, Yoda said:

Question about the dig site. 

Are you allowed to keep whatever you find ?? 

No,

The law says that any scientific important fossils are for scientific research and can not be kept.
This mainly means any vertebrates that are found (excluding small fish) but there is a large grey zone.
Quarry owners can decided what they keep but those grey zone fossils don't go to musea or scientific research but to the fossil market.

That's why we had Jonathan with us as he could tell us if when we found something whether it was something of scientific value that should be donated.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Thoroughly enjoyable thread altogether and thanks for taking and posting so many photographs of the museum specimens. 

I, for one, would love to see the Messel specimens. 

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Very cool trip report, Ken! Unfortunately, I didn't realise this trip was going to take place, otherwise I may have joined. So, maybe next year! Excited to see the finds you made, as it's been a long-term plan to visit the region and go fossil hunting there myself!

[Jimmy From Holland]

Thank you for sharing. what beautiful pictures was there a location that you liked best? the crowd pfff how busy. good to go on the edge. 
the fossilized wood is also beautiful, what a piece still lays in the ground. definitely a nice table.

I'm also going to Solnhofen soon. I am very curious and looking forward to it