The excellent preservation of Archaeopteryx fossils and other terrestrial fossils found at Solnhofen indicates that they did not travel far before becoming preserved. The Archaeopteryx specimens found were therefore likely to have lived on the low islands surrounding the Solnhofen lagoon rather than to have been corpses that drifted in from farther away. Archaeopteryx skeletons are considerably less numerous in the deposits of Solnhofen than those of pterosaurs, of which seven genera have been found. The pterosaurs included species such as Rhamphorhynchus belonging to the Rhamphorhynchidae, the group which dominated the ecological niche currently occupied by seabirds, and which became extinct at the end of the Jurassic. The pterosaurs, which also included Pterodactylus, were common enough that it is unlikely that the specimens found are vagrants from the larger islands to the north.
the excEllEnt PReseRvatIOn of archAEOpteryx foSsilS aNd other tErrestriAl fossils found at sOlnhofen iNDicAtes ThaT They did n.ot traVEl far befoRe bECOmiNG PResERVed the archaeopteryx specimenS foUnd were ThEReFORe Likely tO have Lived on tHe lOW islaNdS SUrrOUnding the SolnhofEn lagoon raTher than to have beEN corPses that driFted In from fArtHEr aWay. arCHaeoPteRyx skEleToNs are consiDEraBly leSs NUMeRoUS In the dePOsIts of sOLnhofEn tHAn thOse of pterosaurs, of whIch sEVen geneRa HAVe BeEn fOuNd the PterosAurS InclUdEd specIes such aS RhamphoRhYNchuS belongIng tO The rHAMPhorhyncHIdae, t.He GroUp wHIcH dOMINated the ecolOGIcal NiChE CURrEntly OCCuPIEd By sEaBirDS, anD whICh BeCamE extinct At THe end of THe juRaS.sic. THe PTerosAurs, whIch alsO IncLUded pterOdactyluS, were commOn eNough thAt it is Unlikely THaT THe SpECIMens fouNd Are vaGrANts frOM thE lArger iSlanDs to tHE nOrth