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Archaeopteryx (meaning "old wing") - Eichstatt specimen was discovered near Workerszell, Germany in 1951. It was scientifically described in 1974 by Peter Wellnhofer. It is the second best preserved head and may possibly be a separate genus (Jurapteryx recurva) or a separate species (Archaeopteryx recurva).
The Eichstatt specimen was originally owned by Xavier Frey of Workerszell, who offered it for sale to Franz Xavier Mayer in 1951 as a pterosaur specimen. Mayer, a priest and conservator of the fossil collection at the Eichstatt seminary, made a preliminary description of the specimen in 1953. At first he identified it as a Compsognathus exemplar and purchased it from Frey for a large price. After further examination, Mayer determined that what he had purchased was a priceless Archaeopteryx specimen. He now had a moral dilemma, since he was a priest, he could allow Frey to take back the specimen and possibly loose the specimen to science. He knew that his institution could never afford such a rare and expensive specimen. He was unable to solve this dilemma and the specimen was stored in his safe until 1965, when Frey died. Mayer invited Peter Wellnhofer to the new Eichstatt natural history museum opening in 1972 to examine the specimen and publish a scientific analysis. Frey's heirs were eventually compensated. The specimen was displayed for a short period of time at the Frankfurt Senckenberg Museum and both sides of the specimen were transferred to the Jura Museum in Eichstatt in 1974.
The Solnhofen beds have long been mined for their fine grained limestone which is perfect for lithographic printing. These Late Jurassic beds are also renowned for producing marine and terrestrial animal and plant fossils of exquisite preservation. During the Late Jurassic, the Bavarian region of Germany was a series of islands and costal lagoons. Any creatures remains that were washed into one of these lagoons would lay undisturbed and unscavenged. Layers of fine marine sediment would cover the remains, leading to nearly flawless preservation.
Archaeopteryx lithographica - Eichstatt specimen side B
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Quantity in Basket:
None
Code: AVE-101B
Price: $183.50
Shipping Weight: 4.21 pounds
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Time: Early Tithonian of the Late Jurassic Period approximately 150 million years ago.
Location: Solnhofen Plattenkalk, Bavaria, Germany Dimensions: 16-3/4" x 12-1/2" x 1"
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