Solnhofen Limestone, famousJurassic Periodlimestone unit located near the town of Solnhofen, southernGermany, that contains exceptionally preserved fossils from theTithonian Age (150.8 million to 145.5 million years ago) of the Jurassic Period. The Solnhofen Limestone is composed of thin beds of fine-grained limestones interbedded with thinshaley layers; they were originally deposited in small,stagnant marine basins (possibly with a very high salt content and lowoxygen content) surrounded by reefs. The limestones have been quarried for hundreds of years for buildings and for lithographic printmaking. The Solnhofen Limestone is also known as Solnhofen Plattenkalk.

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More than 750 plant and animal species have been described from the Solnhofen Limestone. The most common fossils arecrinoids,ammonites, fishes, andcrustaceans. The most famousfossil from Solnhofen isArchaeopteryx, an ancient bird that left impressions of its feathers preserved in therock. It is the oldest bird fossil to have been found by paleontologists.

The Solnhofen is well known for the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied organisms such as jellyfish, squid, and insects that are not usually incorporated into thefossil record. The burial of such organisms in the fine-grained sediments of stagnant marinebasins allowed even the impressions of internal organs to be preserved.