Paleontologists from the University of Leicester studied two immature fossilized skeletal remains of Pterodactylus antiquus, individuals whose wings were damaged and were discovered in Solnhofen limestone, southern Germany. Their findings reveal that these creatures were sadly victims of a powerful Jurassic storm, which created the perfect conditions for fossilization, leading to the preservation of hundreds of similar specimens.
Artistic representation of the hatchling Pterodactylus antiquus, inspired by fossil discoveries, struggling through a tumultuous tropical storm. Image credit: Rudolf Hima.
“Dating back 153-148 million years, the Jurassic Solnhofen limestone deposits in Bavaria, southern Germany, are renowned for their remarkably preserved fossils, including many examples of various pterosaurs, flying reptiles from the Mesozoic era.”
“A puzzling aspect of this site is that while Solnhofen is home to hundreds of pterosaur fossils, almost all are small, immature specimens that are remarkably intact.”
“In stark contrast, larger adult pterosaurs are infrequently found and typically represented by isolated fragments, such as skulls or limbs.”
“This trend contradicts expectations, as larger, more resilient animals should theoretically have a greater chance of fossilization than fragile juveniles.”
In their latest study, the researchers examined the fossilized remains of two immature pterosaurs from the Solnhofen limestone.
These individuals belong to Pterodactylus antiquus, a species that inhabited Germany during the late Jurassic period.
With a wingspan of under 20 cm (8 inches), these hatchlings represent the smallest known pterosaurs.
Both specimens exhibit identical injuries: a clean, sloping fracture in the humerus.
Newborn specimens of Pterodactylus antiquus from Solnhofen limestone, Germany. Scale bar – 20 mm. Image credit: Smyth et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.08.006.
One specimen’s left wing and another’s right wing appear broken in a manner consistent with a strong twist, likely caused by a sudden gust of wind rather than impact with a hard object.
The unfortunate pterosaur was likely submerged beneath the lagoon’s surface, overwhelmed by storm waves, and swiftly sank to the seabed, where it was quickly buried by a fine layer of mud stirred up by the tempest.
This rapid entombment facilitated the exceptional preservation observed in the fossils.
It’s reminiscent of a scene only days or weeks after the animals’ demise, with preservation so remarkable that while no significant skeletal trauma is evident, many other small, very young pterosaurs are found within the Solnhofen limestone.
These juvenile pterosaurs, unable to withstand the storm’s ferocity, were also drawn into the lagoon.
This discovery clarifies why smaller fossils are so well preserved—due to the direct aftermath of the storm, which was a common cause of death for pterosaurs in the region.
“For centuries, scientists believed the Solnhofen lagoon ecosystem was primarily composed of small pterosaurs,” stated Dr. Smith.
“However, we now recognize that this perspective was quite skewed; many of these pterosaurs were not lagoon dwellers.”
“Most were likely immature individuals that lived on nearby islands, inadvertently caught in a powerful storm.”
A study detailing these findings was published today in the journal Current Biology.
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Robert S. Smith et al. Fatal incidents in juvenile pterosaurs and selective sampling within fossil Solnhofen communities. Current Biology, published online September 5th, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2025.08.006
Source: www.sci.news
