Solnhofen Limestone Fossils Keychain

Description

This Pocket Locket
™
depicts a piece of the Solnhofen Limestone, a rock formation that was formed in a shallow sea durring the Jurassic period, and which is now exposed in the the southern German state of Bavaria. This formation is one of the most paleontologically significant "lagerstatte", a German term for formations in which fossil preservation is exceptionally good, and in which there is evidence of parts which are not normally preserved, such as skin and feathers.
As with the real limestone, ours opens up along the clefts between the layers in which the rock was laid down. Inside are many of the perfectly preserved fossils for which the Solnhofen Limestone is known. Most notable of these fossils is the famous Archaeopteryx, whose reptilian features, and feathers, gave paleontologists the first evidence of the link between birds and dinosaurs. Also present are two of the Pterodactyls which fished in the Jurassic Sea, Rhamphorhynchus and pterodactylus antiquus.
Defying time, is Mesolimulus, whose ancestors, nearly identical in form, inhabited the oceans 200 million years before the Solnhofen Limestone was formed, and whose descendants still live today. Fossil preservation in the Solnhofen Limestone was so perfect that even the tracks (known as "trace fossils") of one crustacean are seen.
Truly unique, carefully researched and meticulously crafted! The perfect gift for your favorite paleontologist!
Dimensions (not including keyring):
3.3 cm high X 2.3 cm wide X 1.1 cm thick
Weight:
25.1 Grams