Stanley, a cast of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skull |
The Zuhl Collection also contains a large number of fossils of invertebrate and vertebrate animals from all over the world, including trilobites, corals, ammonites, insects, and fishes. Included in the collection are fossils from three famous sites: the Solenhofn Limestone of Germany, the Green River Formation of western Wyoming, and the White River Badlands of South Dakota. The Solenhofn Limestone is Late Jurassic in age (~150 million years ago) and was deposited in a shallow lagoon. Because of the stagnant nature of the lagoon, organisms that fell or were washed into it decayed slowly, resulting in exquisite preservation of vertebrate bones and impressions of soft tissue of invertebrates. Included among the Solenhofn fossils are fish, insects, crustaceans, and flying reptiles (pterosaurs). (Photos by Stephanie Furgal) |
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An imprint of a crustacean has been preserved in sedimentary rocks. |
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An amazing impression of a prehistoric dragonfly. |
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A beautifully preserved Skate fossil. |
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Polished Nautiloid, Late Jurassic in age. |
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Dinosaur legbone. Note the preserved turtle shell to the right. |
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Trilobite death assemblage. |
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A prehistoric turtle shell is replaced by minerals |
