Lot 24
FOSSIL DRAGONFLY
SOLNHOFEN, GERMANY, JURASSIC PERIOD, 150 MILLION YEARS BP
Ancient, African & Oceanic Art and Natural History
Auction: 08 July 2026 at 14:00 BST
Description
finely preserved specimen of Urogomphus eximus within a limestone matrix
Dimensions
30.6 x 36cm
Footnote
This specimen lived around 150 million years ago in a warm, subtropical archipelago of low-lying islands, lagoons, and coastal mudflats. Dense stands of conifers, cycads, and ferns fringed the shores, while shallow, highly saline lagoons created ideal conditions for the exceptional preservation of plants and animals in the fine limestone sediments. These skies were shared with some of the earliest birds, including Archaeopteryx, whose beautifully preserved fossils have made Solnhofen one of the world's most important fossil sites. Dragonflies would have hunted above the lagoons and forests much as they do today, preying on smaller insects in an ecosystem that bridged the age of reptiles and the dawn of birds.