Paleobiota of the Solnhofen Formation
Introduction The Solnhofen Plattenkalk, a collective term of multiple Late Jurassic lithographic limestones in southeastern Germany, is famous for its well preserved fossil flora and fauna dating to the late Jurassic.
[[Chondrichthyes]]  Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Asteracanthus''   ''A. ornatissimus''''Paracestracion''''P. falcifer''}
[[Chondrostei]]  Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Coccolepis''  ''C. bucklandi''
[[Pycnodontiformes]]  Name Species Presence Notes Images''Eomesodon''''E. gibbosus''Gyrodus circularis''Gyrodus hexagonus''Mesturus verrucosus''''Gyrodus''''G. circularis''''G. hexagonus''''Mesturus''''M. verrucosus''''Macromesodon''''M. heckeli''''M. macropterus''''Piranhamesodon''''P. pinnatomus''''Proscinetes''''P. elegans''''P. formosus''
[[Ginglymodi]] ===Lepidotidae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images''Scheenstia''''S. maximus''''Scheenstia maximus''=== Callipurbeckidae === Name Species Presence Notes Images''Callipurbeckia''''C. notopterus''frameless===Macrosemiidae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Histionotus''  ''H. oberndorferi'' ''Propterus'' ''Macrosemius''  ''M. rostratus''  ''Notagogus''  ''N. decoratus'' ''N. denticulatus''  ''Propterus''  ''P. elongatus'' ''P. microstomus'' ''Eusemius''  ''E. beatae''
[[Dapediiformes]]  Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Heterostrophus''  ''H. latus'' frameless
Halecomorphi ===Caturidae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images''Amblysemius''  ''A. bellicianus''  ''Caturus furcatus'' ''A. pachyurus''  ''Caturus''  ''C. furcatus''  ''C. giganteus'' ''Liodesmus''  ''L. gracilis''  ''L. sprattiformis''===Ionoscopidae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Ionoscopus''  ''I. cyprinoides''  ''I. esocinus'' ''I. münsteri'' ''I. striatissimus''===Furidae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Furo''  ''F. angustus''   ''F. latimanus'' ''F. longiserratus'' ''F. microlepidotes''===Other halecomorphs=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Amiopsis''  ''A. lepidota''Amiid. ''Ophiopsis''''Ophiopsis''''O. muensteri''  ''Ophiopsiella''  ''O. attenuta'' ''O. procera''''Solnhofenamia''  ''S. elongata''Amiid.====Halecomorphi incertae sedis==== Name Species Presence Notes Images''Brachyichthys''  ''B. radiato-punctatus''  ''B typicus'' ''Callopterus''  ''C. agassizzi''''Lophiurus''  ''L. minutus''
[[Teleostei]] ===Pleuropholidae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images  ''Pleuropholis''  ''P. laevissima''  ''P. pompecki''''P. wagneri''=== Pachycormidae === Name Species Presence Notes Images''Asthenocormus''''A. titanius'' ''Hypsocormus''''Hypsocormus''''H. insignis''''H. macrodon''''Orthocormus''''O. cornutus''''Pseudoasthenocormus''''P. retrodorsalis''''Sauropsis''''S. depressus''''S. longimanus''===Aspidorhynchidae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Aspidorhynchus''  ''A. acutirostris'' ''Aspidorhynchus'' ''Belonostomus''  ''B. münsteri''''B. tenuirostris''===Pholidophoridae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Ankylophorus''  Indeterminate. ''Pholidophorus'' ''Eurycormus''  ''E. speciosus''''Pholidophoristion''  ''P. micronyx''''P. ovatus''''Pholidophorus''  ''P. armatus''''P. diagonalis''''P. falcifer''''P. macrocephalus''''P. microps''''P. sculptus''===Allothrissopidae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Allothrissops''  ''A. mesogaster'' ''Pachythrissops''''Thrissops''''A. salmoneus'' ''Pachythrissops''  ''P. propterus''  ''Thrissops''  ''T. formosus''''T. subovatus''===Orthogonikleithridae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Leptolepides''  ''L. haerteisi''  ''L. sprattiformis''  ''Orthogonikleithrus''  ''O. hoelli'' ''O. leichi''===Anaethalionidae=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Anaethalion''  ''A. angustissimus''  ''A. angustus''''A. knorri''''A. subovatus''===Others=== Name Species Presence Notes Images ''Ascalabos''  ''A. voithii'' Living ''Elops'' individual. ''Daitingichthys''  ''D. tischlingeri''''Eichstättia''  ''E. mayri'' ''Elops''  cf. ''E.'' sp. 1cf. ''E.'' sp. 2cf. ''E.'' sp. 3 ''Tharsis''  ''T. dubius''''Tischlingerichtys''  ''T. viohli''
Reptiles ===Lizards=== Name Species Presence Notes Images''Ardeosaurus''''A. brevipes''EichstättSmall Lepidosaur thought to be close to the base of Geckota''Ardeosaurus brevipes''''A. digitalellus''Solnhofen, Eichstätt''Bavarisaurus''''B. macrodactylus''Kelheim''Eichstaettisaurus''''E. schroederi''Eichstätt''Schoenesmahl''S. dyspepsiaKelheimBavariasaurid lizard that was found in the stomach of the ''Compsognathus'' Holotype===Rhynchocephalians=== Name Species LocalityFormation Notes Images''Homoeosaurus''''H. maximillioni''Eichstätt, Painten, Schamhaupten, KelheimAltmühltal Formation, Painten Formation''Sapheosaurus''''S. laticeps''Eichstätt, PaintenAltmühltal Formation, Painten FormationLarge sapheosaurid reaching 70 cm in length, it may be semi-aquatic''Kallimodon''''K. pulchellus''EichstättAltmühltal FormationSapheosauridae''Oenosaurus''''O. muehlheimensis''MühlheimMörnsheim FormationRhynchocephalian with dentition unique among Tetrapoda''Vadasaurus''''V. herzogi''Painten?Painten FormationRhynchocephalian close to the base of Pleurosauridae''Pleurosaurus''''P. goldfussi''Eichstätt, Langenaltheim, Painten, MörnsheimAltmühltal Formation, Painten Formation, Mörnsheim Formation''Acrosaurus fischmanni'' is a synonym.===Ichthyosaurs=== Name Species Presence Notes Images''Aegirosaurus''''A. leptospondylus''Eichstätt, Solnhofen''A. leptospondylus'' tail"''Ichthyosaurus''""''I.''" ''posthumus''Eichstätt, Kelheim, Solnhofen''Nomen dubium''. Known only from isolated teeth.===Turtles=== Name Species Presence Notes Images''Eurysternum''''E. wagleri''Solnhofen, Kelheim''Platychelys oberndorferi''''Cyrtura''''C. temnospondyla''Solnhofen''Idiochelys''''I. fitzingeri''Eichstätt''Palaeomedusa''''P. testa''Kelheim, Eichstätt, Solnhofen''Eurysternum crassipes'' and ''Thalassemys marina'' are synonyms.''Platychelys''''P. oberndorferi''KelheimPlatychelyid sea turtle''Solnhofia''''S. parsonsi''Eichstätt===Crocodylomorphs=== Name Species Presence Specimens Notes Images''Alligatorellus''''A. beaumonti''Kelheim*Partial skeletonAn atoposaurid''Alligatorellus beaumonti''''Cricosaurus''''C. elegans''Eichstätt, Solnhofen*Skull and vertebrae (NHM 43005)*Partial skull (NHM 37006)A metriorhynchid''Dakosaurus''''D. maximus''Schernfeld*Isolated teeth (JME-SOS4577, JME-SOS2535)A metriorhynchid''Geosaurus'' ''G. giganteus''Solnhofen*Skull and mandible (NHM 37020)*Isolated tooth (NHM 37016)A metriorhynchid''Rhacheosaurus''''R. gracilis''Eichstätt, Zankt*Skull and skeleton (NHM R.3948)*SpecimenA metriorhynchid===Dinosaurs=== Name Species Presence Notes Images''Archaeopteryx''''A. siemensii''Langenaltheim, Workerszell''Wellnhoferia'' and ''Jurapteryx'' are synonyms. ''Archaeopteryx siemensii''''Compsognathus longipes''  ''A. lithographica''Langenaltheim, Eichstätt''Compsognathus''''C. longipes''Kelheim (Goldberg)===Pterosaurs=== Name Species Presence Notes Images''Aerodactylus''''A. scolopaciceps''Formerly classified as a species of ''Pterodactylus'', closely related to ''Ardeadactylus'', ''Aurorazhdarcho'', and ''Cycnorhamphus''. ''Ctenochasma elegans''Cycnorhamphus suevicus''''Rhamphorhynchus muensteri''''Scaphognathus crassirostris''''Anurognathus''''A. ammoni''''Ardeadactylus''''A. longicollum''Formerly considered a species of ''Pterodactylus'', it is more closely related to ''Gnathosaurus'' and ''Germanodactylus''.''Aurorazhdarcho''''A. micronyx''''Ctenochasma'' ''C. elegans''Originally classified as ''Pterodactylus elegans''''Cycnorhamphus''''C. suevicus''Originally classified as ''Pterodactylus suevicus''''Germanodactylus''''G. cristatus''Originally classified as ''Pterodactylus cristatus'' ''G. rhamphastinus''''Gnathosaurus''''G. subulatus''''Pterodactylus''''P. antiquus''* Only one species is currently supported as valid, the rest represent growth stages, often of other species, synonyms, or ''nomina dubia''.''Rhamphorhynchus''''R. muensteri''* Only one species is currently supported as valid, the rest represent growth stages, often of other species, synonyms, or ''nomina dubia''.''Scaphognathus''''S. crassirostris''# Only two specimens have been recovered from the formation. The first was found in Eichstätt, the second in Mülheim. * A Solnhofen genus erected in 1861 by J. A. Wagner when he recognized the rhamphorhynchoid nature of "''Pterodactylus''" ''crassirostris'' after the discovery of a specimen with a preserved tail. The Solnhofen Limestone is the only known source of ''Scaphognathus'' fossils.# ''S. crassirostris'' was originally named '''''P.''' crassirostris'' in 1831 by August Goldfuss who mistook the tailless specimen for a new ''Pterodactylus'' species.
Invertebrate paleofauna ===Crinoids==='''Crinoids of the Solnhofen Formation''' Taxa Presence Notes Images* ''Saccocoma''# ''S. ''''Saccocoma'' remains are the most common macroscopic fossils in the Solnhofen limestone.Saccocoma tenella''===Cephalopods==='''Cephalopods of the Solnhofen Formation''' Taxa Presence Notes Images*''Belemnotheutis mayri''''Belemnotheutis''''Plesioteuthis''''Physodoceras''An ammonite''Fontannesiella''An ammonite ===Crustacea==='''Crustaceans of the Solnhofen Formation''' Name'''Species''' Presence Notes Images''Cancrinos''''C. claviger''SolnhofenA cancrinid''Cycleryon''''C. elongatus''SolnhofenAn eryonid''C. orbiculatus''An eryonid''C. propinquus''An eryonid''Eryma''''E. modestiforme''An erymid''E. veltheimii''An erymid''Eryon''''E. cuvieri''An eryonid''Etallonia''''E. longimana''SolnhofenAn axiid''Gigantosculda''''G. ehrlichfeckei''EichstättA mantis shrimp''Glyphea''''G. pseudoscyllarus''A glypheid''G. tenuis''EichstättA glypheid''Knebelia''''K. bilobata''SolnhofenAn eryonid''Magila''''M. desmarestii''SolnhofenAn axiid''M. latimana''EichstättAn axiid''Mecochirus''''M. dubius''A mecochirid''M. longimanatus''A mecochirid''Orhomalus''''O. deformis''SolnhofenA pagurid''Palaeastacus''''P. fuciformis''An erymid''Palaeopentacheles''''P. roettenbacheri''A polychelid''Palinurina''''P. longipes''A spiny lobster''P. tenera''EichstättA spiny lobster''Pustulina''''P. minuta''An erymid''Pseudastacus''''P. pustulosus''A stenochirid''Rosenfeldia''''R. oppeli''EichstättAn eryonid''Sculda''''S. pennata''A mantis shrimp''S. spinosa''A mantis shrimp''Spinosculda''''S. ehrlichi''A mantis shrimp''Stenochirus''''S. angustus''FlonheimA stenochirid''S. mayeri''SolnhofenA stenochirid''Squamosoglyphea''''S. squamosa''KelheimA glypheid''Tyrannosculda''''T. laurae''EichstättA mantis shrimp===Xiphosura==='''Horseshoe crabs of the Solnhofen Formation''' Taxa Presence Notes Images*''Mesolimulus walchi''''Mesolimulus''=== Thylacocephalans ==='''Thylacocephalans of the Solnhofen Formation''' Taxa Presence Notes Images''Clausocaris'' ''C. lithographica''''Dollocaris''''D. michelorum'' ''Mayrocaris''''M. bucculata''''Falcatacaris''''F. bastelbergeri'' ===Insects==='''Dragonflies of the Solnhofen Formation''' Taxa Presence Notes Images*''Mesurupetala''''Mesurupetala'' - Houston Museum of Natural Science
References ===General===* Lambers, P. H. (1999). The actinopterygian fish fauna of the Late Kimmeridgian and Early Tithonian 'Plattenkalke' near Solnhofen (Bavaria, Germany): state of the art. ''Geologie en Mijnbouw'' '''78''':215-229.