The Fossil Journey Around the World – Germany
The Global Fossil Journey is about to begin! We’re going to travel the world to explore major fossil formations and learn about those important and special fossils.
Today, we’re introducing a place that was part of the Holy Roman Empire and the Federation. Can you guess which country it is? Not so easy, right? Here’s another hint: it’s the home country of BMW and Benz. Now do you know which country it is? That’s right—it’s Germany!
Today, we’ll meet a ton of ancient creatures, including insects, mammals, pterosaurs, dinosaurs, and even a creature that proves dinosaurs are the ancestors of birds. Are you ready? Let’s get started! Let’s Go!
Give me five minutes, and I’ll give you a dinosaur world.
First, let’s travel back to medieval Germany. Back then, this area was a collection of small states, all part of a monarchical empire called the Holy Roman Empire. Today, Germany has preserved many medieval structures, like the Hohenzollern Castle perched on a hill and the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where the entire city retains its medieval charm. These are treasures of that era.
Next, we’ll visit a few fossil formations, ranging from the Eocene to the Triassic periods.
Let’s start with the Messel Pit in central Germany, dating back about 50 million years to the Eocene. This site has preserved a vast number of animal and plant fossils, including mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and insects. In most places, fossils are only partial skeletons, but in the Messel Pit, many fossils are complete specimens. Paleontologists have found preserved skeletons, feathers, fur, and even skin textures.
Let’s introduce a super giant ant! During the Eocene, there was a group of particularly large ants called Titanomyrma, or titan ants. Fossils of these ants have been found in the Messel Pit, and they were distributed across what is now Europe and North America. Just how big were these extinct titan ants? Grab a 15-centimeter ruler and imagine this: the queen ant could grow up to 6 centimeters long, while the worker ants, responsible for gathering food and caring for the young, were about 5 centimeters long. Isn’t that massive?
In the same formation, scientists discovered a creature called the long-nosed jerboa, which fed on insects, small reptiles, and small mammals. The long-nosed jerboa measured about 60–90 centimeters from head to tail, stood no taller than 50 centimeters, had short arms, super sturdy legs, and a long, pointed snout. Picture a miniature kangaroo! Why did the long-nosed jerboa go extinct? By the end of the Eocene, the climate became increasingly cold, and the jerboa couldn’t adapt, leading to its extinction.
Now, whoosh! We’re heading to the Solnhofen Quarry in Bavaria, Germany, to introduce two Jurassic creatures. Do you know where the term “Jurassic” comes from? It’s named after the Jura Mountains, located at the border of Germany, France, and Switzerland. The rock walls of the Jura Mountains contain many Jurassic marine fossils, giving us a glimpse into the ocean life of that era.
Back to the Solnhofen Quarry. This is where the iconic fossil that shocked the scientific world was found: Archaeopteryx. It proved that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Yes, you heard that right—birds are distant relatives of dinosaurs!
Since the early days of natural history, scientists have extensively studied the relationship between dinosaurs and birds. While biologists have long debated the evolutionary connection, the discovery of Archaeopteryx provided a crucial link. Archaeopteryx, meaning “first bird” in Latin, lived about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period and is considered an ancestor of modern birds.
The Archaeopteryx fossil, discovered in 1861 at the Solnhofen Quarry in Bavaria, Germany, is significant because it bridges the gap between dinosaurs and birds. Its features include a long tail and sharp teeth, typical of dinosaurs, as well as feathers and wings, characteristic of birds.
This combination of traits makes Archaeopteryx a remarkable creature, confirming an astonishing scientific theory: birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs! The graceful birds soaring in the sky are actually closely related to ancient dinosaurs. This discovery caused a major stir in the scientific community and became a key milestone in understanding biological evolution.
Two famous Archaeopteryx specimens, known as the Berlin Specimen and the London Specimen, are housed in the Natural History Museums of Berlin and London, respectively. If you ever get the chance, you must see them—they’re incredibly cool!
In the same quarry, scientists also found fossils of another fascinating creature: Rhamphorhynchus, an ancient pterosaur. This Jurassic pterosaur was small, about the size of two hands.
When paleontologists first studied Rhamphorhynchus fossils, they pieced them together and initially thought it was an aquatic creature, with clawed structures possibly used for paddling like a duck. It wasn’t until 20–30 years later that scientists re-evaluated and confirmed that pterosaurs were flying creatures.
Finally, let’s go even further back to the Triassic period. In Germany’s Thuringian Forest Group, scientists found a super ancient dinosaur from about 250 million years ago called Liliensternus. This carnivorous dinosaur measured about 5.5 meters from head to tail and weighed an estimated 120–150 kilograms. Paleontologists believe Liliensternus may have also preyed on herbivorous dinosaurs. Can you name a herbivorous dinosaur from the Triassic? That’s right—Plateosaurus!
Have you memorized the five ancient creatures we introduced today? They are: the titan ant with queens up to 6 centimeters long, the long-nosed jerboa resembling a miniature kangaroo, Archaeopteryx proving birds evolved from dinosaurs, the small-winged Rhamphorhynchus, and the super ancient dinosaur Liliensternus.
That’s it for today’s Global Fossil Journey! See you next time!
