Gerd Dietl

THE NUSPLINGEN LITHOGRAPHIC LIMESTONE - A "FOSSIL LAGERSTAETTE" OF LATE KIMMERIDGIAN AGE FROM THE SWABIAN ALB (GERMANY)

A short overview is given on the actual excavations within a fossiliferous lithographic limestone site near Nusplingen (western Swabian Alb, SW Germany). In contrast to the better known Early Tithonian Solnhofen Lithographic Limestone, it is much richer in fossils and 0.5 my older (Late Kimmeridgian, Beckeri Zone, Ulmense Subzone). Many of the fossils exhibit an excellent preservation, sometimes even of the organic matter. More than 7.000 specimens have been recorded belonging to almost 300 taxa (plants, microfossils, invertebrates, ichnofossils, and vertebrates).

First Record of a True Mortichnium Produced by a Fish

ABSTRACT Among the numerous ichnofossils found in the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen-type Nusplingen Fossillagerstätte of southwestern Germany, there is a unique find of a fish associated with a trail, which must be interpreted as a mortichnium. Like similar cases of fatally injured crustaceans from the same locality, this fish mortichnium resulted from an unsuccessful attack on the fish by a predator and does not provide evidence for a hostile environment.