Preservation

Foraminifera are one of the most common organisms living in the oceans today as well as in the past. It therefore makes sense that there would be foraminifera in the Solnhofen Lagoon. Found in the Solnhofen Limestone in the latter part of the last century, the foraminifera, found in the lagoon were unicellular organisms with shells composed of fine sand from the sea floor. These foraminifera were benthic and probably lived above the lower anoxic part of the lagoon or they were carried in with the currents.

(a) Gaudryina bukowiensis Cushman and Glazewski (x42); (b) Nodosaria euglypha Schwager (x22); (c) Marginulina distorta Kusnetzowa (x40); (d) Quinqueloculina egmontensis Lloyd (x45); (e) Patellina feifeli (Paalzow) (top right to bottom left side view, bottom view and top view) (modified from Barthel et. al., 1990).