Large Solnhofen Medusites Jellyfish Fossil with Tentacles

Description: Soft-bodied preservation is rarely preserved in the fossil record. Jellyfish are 99% water. One can only imagine the special circumstances necessary to preserve a creature this fragile. This Medusites jellyfish is a fine example of such an unusual geological occurrence. These are commonly referred to as “tennis ball” jellyfish because of their round appearance and size. This fine and rare example is exceptionally well preserved and even exhibits some of its tentacles.

This spectacular fossil comes from the famous lithographic limestone Solnhofen deposits of Germany. These 150 million year old deposits are famous for their exceptionally well-preserved organisms, the most famous of which are the handful of specimens of the ancient bird Archaeopteryx.