View source for Lagerstätte

{{Short description|Sedimentary deposit with well-preserved extraordinary fossils}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
[[File:Opabinia_smithsonian.JPG|thumb|Well-preserved basal arthropod ''[[Opabinia]]'' from [[Burgess Shale]] ''Lagerstätte'' (Middle [[Cambrian]]) ]]
{{Paleontology}}

A '''Fossil-Lagerstätte''' ({{IPA|de|ˈlaːɡɐˌʃtɛtə}} {{endash}} from ''[[wikt:Lager|Lager]]'' 'storage, lair' and ''[[wikt:Stätte|Stätte]]'' 'place'; {{plural form}} {{lang|de|'''Lagerstätten'''}}) is a [[Stratigraphic unit|sedimentary deposit]] that preserves an exceptionally high amount of [[Paleontology|palaeontological]] information.<ref name="shields1998">{{cite journal| last=Shields |first=Graham |title=What are Lagerstätten |journal=Lethaia |year=1998 |volume=31 |issue=2 |page=124 |doi=10.1111/j.1502-3931.1998.tb00498.x |bibcode=1998Letha..31..124S |url=https://www.idunn.no/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1502-3931.1998.tb00498.x}}</ref> '''''Konzentrat-Lagerstätten''''' preserve a high concentration of [[fossil]]s, while '''''Konservat-Lagerstätten''''' offer exceptional fossil preservation, sometimes including preserved soft tissues. ''Konservat-Lagerstätten'' may have resulted from carcass burial in an [[hypoxia (environmental)|anoxic]] environment with minimal bacteria, thus delaying the decomposition of both gross and fine biological features until long after a durable impression was created in the surrounding matrix. ''Fossil-Lagerstätten'' span [[geology|geological]] time from the [[Neoproterozoic]] era to the [[Holocene|present]].

Worldwide, some of the best examples of near-perfect fossilization are the [[Cambrian]] [[Maotianshan shales]] and [[Burgess Shale]], the [[Ordovician]] [[Fezouata|Fezouata Biota]], [[Beecher's Trilobite Bed]], and [[Soom Shale]], the [[Silurian]] [[Waukesha Biota]], the [[Devonian]] [[Hunsrück Slates]] and [[Gogo Formation]], the [[Carboniferous]] [[Mazon Creek fossil beds|Mazon Creek]], the [[Triassic]] [[Madygen Formation]], the [[Jurassic]] [[Posidonia Shale]] and [[Solnhofen Limestone]], the [[Cretaceous]] [[Yixian Formation|Yixian]], [[Santana Formation|Santana]], and [[Agua Nueva Formation|Agua Nueva]] formations and the [[Tanis (fossil site)|Tanis Fossil Site]], the [[Eocene]] [[Fur Formation]], [[Green River Formation]], [[Messel Formation]] and [[Monte Bolca]], the [[Miocene]] [[Foulden Maar]] and [[Ashfall Fossil Beds]], the [[Pliocene]] [[Gray Fossil Site]], and the [[Pleistocene]] [[Naracoorte Caves]] and [[La Brea Tar Pits]].

==Types==
[[Palaeontologist]]s distinguish two major kinds:{{refn| group=nb|Additionally, some authors have proposed the usage of a third type of ''Lagerstätten: "'''Liberation Lagerstätten'''".'' This proposed type of ''Lagerstätten'' has had little acknowledgement or acceptance within the rest of the literature, however. These sites are characterized by a potential high number of fossils and good preservation, but low-grade lithification. In other words, sites that undergone little [[diagenesis]] during the fossilization process.<ref name=":11"/><ref name="palaeo-electronica.org">{{Cite journal |last1=Ernst |first1=Andrej |last2=Claussen |first2=Anna Lene |last3=Suess |first3=Barbara |last4=Jackson |first4=Patrick N. Wyse |date=2022-05-23 |title=Stenolaemate bryozoans from the Graham Formation, Pennsylvanian (Virgilian) at Lost Creek Lake, Texas, USA |url=https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2022/3608-pennsylvanian-bryozoan-fauna |access-date=2025-10-07 |journal=Palaeontologia Electronica |doi=10.26879/1174 |language=en|doi-access=free }}</ref>}}<ref name=Seilacher1970>The term was originally coined by [[Adolf Seilacher]] in: {{cite journal
 | author = Seilacher, A.
 | year = 1970
 | title = ''Begriff und Bedeutung der Fossil-Lagerstätten: Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Paläontologie''
 | journal = Monatshefte
 | volume = 1970
 | pages = 34–39
 | language=de
 }}</ref><ref name="KimmigSchiffbauer2024">The term was redefined by [[Julien Kimmig]] and [[James D. Schiffbauer]] in: {{cite journal |last=Kimmig |first=Julien |author2=James D. Schiffbauer |date=25 April 2024 |title=A modern definition of Fossil-Lagerstätten |url=https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/abstract/S0169-5347(24)00086-7 |journal=[[Trends in Ecology and Evolution]] |volume=39 |issue=6 |pages=621–624 |bibcode=2024TEcoE..39..621K |doi=10.1016/j.tree.2024.04.004 |pmid=38670863 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
# '''''Konzentrat-Lagerstätten''''' (concentration ''Lagerstätten'') are deposits with a particular "concentration" of disarticulated organic hard parts, such as a bone bed. These ''Lagerstätten'' are less spectacular than the more famous ''Konservat-Lagerstätten''. Their contents invariably display a large degree of time averaging, as the accumulation of bones in the absence of other sediment takes some time. Deposits with a high concentration of fossils that represent an ''in situ'' community, such as [[reef]]s or [[oyster]] beds, are not considered ''Lagerstätten''.
# '''''Konservat-Lagerstätten''''' (conservation ''Lagerstätten'') are deposits known for the exceptional preservation of fossilized organisms or traces. The individual [[taphonomy]] of the fossils varies with the sites. Conservation ''Lagerstätten'' are crucial in elucidating important moments in the history and [[evolution]] of life. For example, the [[Burgess Shale]] of British Columbia is associated with the [[Cambrian explosion]], and the [[Solnhofen limestone]] with the earliest known [[bird]], ''[[Archaeopteryx]]''.

==Preservation==
''Konservat-Lagerstätten'' preserve lightly [[Sclerosis (medicine)|sclerotized]] and soft-bodied organisms or traces of organisms that are not otherwise preserved in the usual shelly and bony fossil record; thus, they offer more complete records of ancient biodiversity and behavior and enable some reconstruction of the [[palaeoecology]] of ancient aquatic communities. In 1986, [[Simon Conway Morris]] calculated only about 14% of genera in the Burgess Shale had possessed [[Biomineralisation|biomineralized]] tissues in life. The affinities of the shelly elements of [[conodont]]s were mysterious until the associated soft tissues were discovered near Edinburgh, Scotland, in the Granton Lower [[Oil Shale]] of the [[Carboniferous]].<ref name = "Briggs">Briggs et al. 1983; Aldridge et al. 1993.{{full citation needed|date=January 2022}}</ref> Information from the broader range of organisms found in ''Lagerstätten'' have contributed to recent [[phylogenetic]] reconstructions of some major [[metazoan]] groups. ''Lagerstätten'' seem to be temporally autocorrelated, perhaps because global environmental factors such as climate might affect their deposition.<ref name="Retallack2011">{{Cite journal | last1 = Retallack | first1 = G. J. | doi = 10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.04.023 | title = Exceptional fossil preservation during CO<sub>2</sub> greenhouse crises? | journal = [[Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology]] | year = 2011 | volume=307 | issue = 1–4 | pages=59–74| bibcode = 2011PPP...307...59R }}</ref>

A number of [[taphonomic]] pathways may produce ''Konservat-Lagerstätten'':<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Kimmig |first1=Julien |last2=Schiffbauer |first2=James D. |date=2024 |title=A modern definition of Fossil-Lagerstätten |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0169534724000867 |journal=Trends in Ecology & Evolution |volume=39 |issue=7 |pages=621–624 |language=en |doi=10.1016/j.tree.2024.04.004|pmid=38670863 |bibcode=2024TEcoE..39..621K |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
* [[Phosphatization]] (replacing soft tissues with [[Phosphate mineral|phosphate]], such as [[Orsten|Orsten-type]] and [[Doushantuo type preservation|Doushantuo-type preservations]]).
* [[Silicification]] (replacing or entombing soft tissues with silica, such as [[petrified wood]] or [[Bitter Springs type preservation|Bitter Springs-type preservation]]).
* Kerogenization (soft tissues converted into inert [[Carbonaceous film (paleontology)|carbonaceous films]], as found in [[Burgess Shale type preservation|Burgess Shale-type preservation]]).
* [[Aluminosilification]] (replacing or coating soft tissues with films of [[aluminosilicate]] minerals).
* [[Pyritization]] (replacing soft tissues with [[pyrite]], such as the exquisite detail found in [[Beecher's Trilobite type preservation|Beecher's trilobite-type preservation]]).
* Calcification (replacing or soft tissues with [[calcite]] minerals).
* [[Siderite]] or calcite [[Nodule (geology)|nodules]] (chemicals released by decaying soft tissue modify the surrounding sediment into a siderite [[concretion]] or [[coal ball]] encasing the fossil, as found in the [[Mazon Creek fossil beds]]).
* Rapid sediment [[Cementation (geology)|cementation]] (impressions of soft tissue preserved through [[Fossil#Casts and molds|casts and molds]] in the surrounding sediment, such as [[Ediacaran type preservation|Ediacaran-type preservation]] facilitated by [[microbial mat]]s).
* [[Amber]] (soft tissues encased in hardened tree resin).
The identification of a fossil site as a ''Konservat-Lagerstätte'' may be based on a number of different factors which constitute "exceptional preservation". These may include the completeness of specimens, soft tissue preservation, fine-scale detail, [[Taxonomy|taxonomic]] richness, distinctive taphonomic pathways (often multiple at the same site), the extent of the fossil layer in time and space, and particular sediment [[facies]] encouraging preservation.<ref name=":3" />

==Examples==
{{Main list|List of lagerstätten}}
{| class="wikitable" align="center" width="100%"
|-
!Site(s)
!Age
!Location 
!Significance 
!Notable fossils/organisms
|-
|
[[Doushantuo Formation]]
|
600–555 Ma 
|
[[Guizhou|Guizhou Province]], {{Flag|China}}
|
Spans the poorly understood interval between the end of the [[Cryogenian]] [[geological period|period]] and the late Ediacaran [[Avalon explosion]].
|[[File:Ediacaran embryo-like fossil.jpg|thumb|center|upright|An Ediacaran [[embryo]]-like fossil]] 
|-
|
[[Mistaken Point]]

(including the [[Drook Formation|Drook]], [[Briscal Formation|Briscal]], [[Mistaken Point Formation|Mistaken Point]], [[Trepassey Formation|Trepassey]], and [[Fermeuse Formation|Fermeuse]] Formations.)<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Alexander G. |last2=Matthews |first2=Jack J. |date=2017-07-21 |title=Great Canadian Lagerstätten 6. Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve, Southeast Newfoundland |url=https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/25296 |journal=Geoscience Canada |volume=44 |issue=2 |language=en |pages=63–76 |doi=10.12789/geocanj.2017.44.117 |bibcode=2017GeosC..44...63L |issn=1911-4850}}</ref>
|
565 Ma
|
Newfoundland, {{Flag|Canada}}
|
This site contains one of the most diverse and well-preserved collections of [[Precambrian]] [[fossils]].
|
[[File:Ediacaran fossils Mistaken Point Newfoundland.jpg|thumb|center|upright|[[Frondose]] ediacaran organisms]]
|-
|
[[Ediacara Hills]]
|
555 Ma 
|
South {{Flag|Australia}}
|
The type location the [[Ediacaran]] period, and has preserved a significant amount of fossils from that time.
|
[[File:Spriggina floundersi - MUSE.jpg|thumb|center|upright|''[[Spriggina|Spriggina floundersi]]'', a worm-like organism]]
|-
|[[Maotianshan Shales]] (Chengjiang) 
|518 Ma 
|[[Yunnan]], {{Flag|China}}
|The preservation of an extremely diverse faunal assemblage renders the Maotianshan Shales the world's most important formation for understanding the evolution of early [[Multicellular organism|multi-cellular]] life. Microscopic animals like ''[[Yicaris]]'' are preserved here, showing the presence of an Orsten-type deposit within the formation. This site also includes the Xiazhuang biota.<ref name=":21">{{Cite journal |last1=Yang |first1=Bing |last2=Zong |first2=Ruiwen |last3=Xia |first3=Haodong |last4=Zhang |first4=Xinzhi |last5=Li |first5=Weitong |last6=Sun |first6=Siyuan |date=2025 |title=New occurrence of the Guanshan Biota (Cambrian, Stage 4) in the Malong-Yiliang area, eastern Yunnan, South China |journal=Historical Biology |volume=0 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2025.2539302 |issn=0891-2963}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Xi-guang |last2=Siveter |first2=David J. |last3=Waloszek |first3=Dieter |last4=Maas |first4=Andreas |date=4 October 2007 |title=An epipodite-bearing crown-group crustacean from the Lower Cambrian |journal=Nature |volume=449 |issue=7162 |pages=595–598 |bibcode=2007Natur.449..595Z |doi=10.1038/nature06138 |pmid=17914395}}</ref>
|[[File:Haikouichthys4.png|thumb|center|upright|''[[Haikouichthys]]'', a primitive [[craniate]]]]
|-
|[[Sirius Passet]]
|523-518 Ma
|[[Greenland]], {{Flag|Denmark}}
|A site known for its fauna, and that they were most likely preserved by a [[Microbial mat|death mask]]. It is a part of the larger [[Buen Formation]], and has a fauna similar to the Maotianshan shales.
|[[File:Kerygmachela kierkegaardi. MGUH 32054.jpg|thumb|center|upright|''[[Kerygmachela]]'', a [[lobopodia]]n-like [[Dinocaridida|dinocaridid]]]]
|-
|[[Burgess Shale]]
|508 Ma
|British Columbia, {{Flag|Canada}}
|One of the most famous fossil localities in the world. It is famous for the exceptional preservation of the soft parts of its fossils. At 508 million years old ([[Wuliuan|middle Cambrian]]), it is one of the earliest fossil beds containing soft-part imprints.
|[[File:Aria et al. 2020 Anomalocaris canadensis head ROMIP 51212.png|thumb|center|upright|''[[Anomalocaris]]'', a predatory [[Radiodonta|radiodont]]]]
|-
|
[[Kinnekulle]] [[Orsten]] and [[Alum]] [[Shale]]
|
500 Ma
|
{{Flag|Sweden}}
|
The Orsten sites reveals the oldest well-documented [[benthic]] [[meiofauna]] in the fossil record. Fossils such as microfossils of arthropods like free-living [[pentastomid]]s are known. Multiple "Orsten-type" ''lagerstätten'' are also known from other countries.
|[[File:Cambropachycope.png|thumb|center|upright|''[[Cambropachycope]]'', a stem-group [[Mandibulata|mandibulate]] arthropod]]
|-
|[[Fezouata Formation]]<ref name="m155">{{cite journal |last1=Van Roy |first1=Peter |last2=Briggs |first2=Derek E. G. |last3=Gaines |first3=Robert R. |date=2015 |title=The Fezouata fossils of Morocco; an extraordinary record of marine life in the Early Ordovician |url=https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.1144/jgs2015-017 |journal=Journal of the Geological Society |volume=172 |issue=5 |pages=541–549 |bibcode=2015JGSoc.172..541V |doi=10.1144/jgs2015-017 |hdl=1854/LU-8714212 |issn=0016-7649 |access-date=2025-10-14|hdl-access=free }}</ref>
|about 485 Ma
|Draa Valley, {{Flag|Morocco}}
|It was deposited in a marine environment, and is known for its exceptionally preserved fossils, filling an important preservational window beyond the earlier and more common Cambrian [[Burgess shale-type deposits]].
|[[File:20191205 Aegirocassis benmoulai Aegirocassis benmoulae.png|thumb|center|upright|''[[Aegirocassis]]'', a giant [[hurdiid]] radiodont]]
|-
|[[Winneshiek Shale]]
|460 Ma
|[[Decorah]], [[Iowa]], {{Flag|US}}
|A Middle Ordovician site confined to a large impact Crater that is known for exceptionally exquisite preservation of conodonts, bivalved arthropods, and the earliest eurypterids in the fossil record.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Huaibao P. |last2=Bergström |first2=Stig M. |last3=Witzke |first3=Brian J. |last4=Briggs |first4=Derek E. G. |last5=McKay |first5=Robert M. |last6=Ferretti |first6=Annalisa |date=28 February 2017 |title=Exceptionally preserved conodont apparatuses with giant elements from the Middle Ordovician Winneshiek Konservat-Lagerstätte, Iowa, USA |journal=[[Journal of Paleontology]] |volume=91 |issue=3 |pages=493–511 |bibcode=2017JPal...91..493L |doi=10.1017/jpa.2016.155 |s2cid=132698401 |doi-access=free|hdl=11380/1114523 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
|[[File:Eurypterids Pentecopterus Vertical.jpg|center|thumb|upright|''[[Pentecopterus]]'', the oldest known eurypterid]]
|-
|[[Beecher's Trilobite Bed]]
|460? Ma 
|[[New York (state)|New York]], {{Flag|US}}
|Noted exceptionally preserved trilobites with soft tissue preserved by [[pyrite]] replacement.<br /> Pyritisation allows the use of X-rays to study fine detail of preserved soft body parts.
|[[File:Triarthrus.jpg|thumb|center|upright|A pair of ''[[Triarthrus eatoni|Triarthrus]]'' trilobites with pyritized soft-tissue]]
|-
|[[Soom Shale]]
|450? Ma
|{{Flag|South Africa}}
|Known for its remarkable preservation of soft-tissue in fossil material. Deposited in still waters, the unit lacks [[bioturbation]], perhaps indicating [[Anoxic event|anoxic]] conditions.
|[[File:Promissum NT small.jpg|thumb|center|upright|''[[Promissum]]'', a [[conodont]] known from rare soft-tissues]]
|-
|[[Waukesha Biota]] ([[Brandon Bridge Formation]])
|~435 Ma<br />[[Early Silurian]]
|[[Wisconsin]], {{Flag|US}}
|Well-studied site known for the exceptional preservation of its diverse, soft-bodied and lightly skeletonized fauna, includes many major [[taxa]] found nowhere else in strata of similar age. It was one of the first fossil sites with soft bodied preservation known to science. 
|[[File:20211029 Parioscorpio venator.png|thumb|center|upright|''[[Parioscorpio]]'', an enigmatic arthropod]]
|-
|Herefordshire Lagerstätte ([[Coalbrookdale Formation]])
|~430 Ma
|[[Herefordshire]], {{Flag|UK}}
|Known for the well-preserved fossils of various [[Invertebrate|invertebrate animals]] many of which are in their three-dimensional structures. Fossils are preserved within volcanic ash, because of that sometimes this site has been compared to [[Pompeii]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=BBC |title=Fossils found in 425 million year old 'Pompeii' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2009/06/01/herefordshire_fossils_feature.shtml |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref> Some of the fossils are regarded as earliest evidences and evolutionary origin of some of the major groups of modern animals.
|[[File:20200810 Offacolus kingi.png|thumb|center|upright|''[[Offacolus]]'', a [[Chelicerata|euchelicerate]]]]
|-
|[[Bertie Group]]
|422.9-416 Ma
|[[Ontario]] &  [[New York (state)|New York State]], {{Flag|Canada}} and {{Flag|US}}
|This limestone have produced thousands of fossil [[eurypterid]]s, such as giant ''[[Acutiramus]]'' and well-known ''[[Eurypterus]]'', as well as other fauna like scorpions and fish.
|[[File:Nerepisacanthus.png|thumb|center|upright|''[[Nerepisacanthus]]'', an [[acanthodian]]]]
|-
|[[Rhynie chert]]
|400 Ma
|[[Scotland]], {{Flag|UK}}
|The Rhynie chert contains exceptionally preserved plant, fungus, [[lichen]] and animal material (euthycarcinoids, branchiopods, arachnids, hexapods, etc.) preserved in place by an overlying [[Volcanic rock|volcanic deposit]] and hot springs. As well as one of the first known fully terrestrial ecosystems.
|[[File:Asteroxylon_life_restoration.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Asteroxylon]]'', an early [[vascular plant]] related to [[lycopods]]]]
|-
|[[Hunsrück Slates]] (Bundenbach)
|
|Rheinland-Pfalz, {{Flag|Germany}}
|The Hunsrück slates are one of the few marine Devonian ''lagerstätte'' having soft tissue preservation, and in many cases fossils are coated by a pyritic surface layer.
|[[File:20210708 Schinderhannes bartelsi diagrammatic reconstruction.png|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Schinderhannes bartelsi]]'', the youngest known radiodont]]
|-
|[[Gogo Formation]]
|380 Ma ([[Frasnian]])
|[[Western Australia|Western]] {{Flag|Australia}}
|The fossils of the Gogo Formation display three-dimensional soft-tissue preservation of tissues as fragile as nerves and embryos with umbilical cords. Over fifty species of [[fish]] have been described from the formation, and arthropods.
|[[File:Materpiscis.png|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Materpiscis]]'', a [[ptyctodontid]] [[Placodermi|placoderm]] fish that is the oldest [[vertebrate]] known to give [[Viviparity|live birth]]]]
|-
|[[Miguasha National Park]] ([[Escuminac Formation]])
|370 Ma
|[[Quebec|Québec]], {{Flag|Canada}}
|Some of the fish, fauna, and spore fossils found at Miguasha are rare and ancient species. For example, ''[[Eusthenopteron]]'' is sarcopterygian that shares characters with early [[tetrapoda|tetrapods]].
|[[File:Scaumenacia_curta_&_Bothriolepis_canadensis.JPG|center|thumb|200x200px|Fossil of lungfish ''[[Scaumenacia]]'' and [[antiarch]] placoderm ''[[Bothriolepis]]'']]
|-
|[[Waterloo Farm lagerstätte|Waterloo Farm Lagerstätte]] (Witpoort Formation)
|360 Ma
|{{Flag|South Africa}}
|Important site that providing the only record of a high latitude (near [[Polar regions of Earth|polar]]) coastal ecosystem, overturning numerous assumptions about high latitude conditions during the latest Devonian.
|[[File:Priscomyzon_riniensis02.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Priscomyzon]]'', the oldest known genus of [[lamprey]]]]
|-
|[[East Kirkton Quarry]]<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fraser |first1=Nicholas C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JysFngEACAAJ |title=Terrestrial Conservation Lagerstätten: Windows Into the Evolution of Life on Land |last2=Sues |first2=Hans-Dieter |date=2017 |publisher=Dunedin Academic Press |isbn=978-1-78046-014-7 |language=en}}</ref>
|335 Ma
|[[West Lothian]], [[Scotland]], {{Flag|UK}}
|This site has produced numerous well-preserved fossils of early tetrapods like [[temnospondyls]] or [[Reptiliomorpha|reptiliomorphs]], and large arthropods like scorpions or eurypterids.
|[[File:Silvanerpeton1DB.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Silvanerpeton]]'', a possible [[reptiliomorph]]]]
|-
|[[Bear Gulch Limestone]]
|324 Ma
|[[Montana]], {{Flag|US}}
|A [[limestone]]-rich [[Lens (geology)|geological lens]] in central [[Montana]]. It is renowned for its unusual and ecologically diverse fossil composition of [[Chondrichthyes|chondrichthyans]], the group of cartilaginous fish containing modern [[shark]]s, [[Batoidea|rays]], and [[chimaera]]s. Other animals like brachiopods, [[ray finned fish]], arthropods, and the possible mollusk ''[[Typhloesus]]'' are also known from the site.
|[[File:Falcatus_falcatus_01.JPG|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Falcatus]]'', a [[holocephalian]] which males had large fin spine]]
|-
|[[Joggins Fossil Cliffs]] ([[Joggins Formation]])
|315 Ma
|[[Nova Scotia]], {{Flag|Canada}}
|A fossil site that preserves a diverse terrestrial ecosystem consisting of plants like lycopsids, giant arthropods, fish, and the oldest known [[Sauropsida|sauropsid]], ''[[Hylonomus]]''.
|[[File:Hylonomus_lyelli_-_MUSE.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''Hylonomus'', the oldest known sauropsid in the fossil record]]
|-
|[[Mazon Creek]]
|310 Ma
|[[Illinois]], {{Flag|US}}
|A conservation ''lagerstätte'' found near [[Morris, Illinois|Morris]], in [[Grundy County, Illinois]]. The fossils from this site are preserved in [[ironstone]] [[concretion]]s with exceptional detail. The fossils were preserved in a large delta system that covered much of the area. The state fossil of Illinois, the enigmatic animal ''[[Tullimonstrum]]'', is only known from these deposits.
|[[File:Tullimonstrum_gregarium_343.JPG|center|thumb|200x200px|''Tullimonstrum'', an enigmatic animal]]
|-
|[[Montceau-les-Mines lagerstätte|Montceau-les-Mines]]
|300 Ma
|{{Flag|France}}
|Exceptional preservation of [[Pennsylvanian (geology)|Late Carboniferous]] fossil biota are known, including various vertebrates and arthropods, as well as plants.<ref name="PerCha14">{{cite journal |last1=Perrier |first1=V. |last2=Charbonnier |first2=S. |year=2014 |title=The Montceau-les-Mines Lagerstätte (Late Carboniferous, France) |journal=[[Comptes Rendus Palevol]] |volume=13 |issue=5 |pages=353–67 |bibcode=2014CRPal..13..353P |doi=10.1016/j.crpv.2014.03.002}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Heyler |first1=Daniel |last2=Poplin |first2=Cecile M. |date=1988 |title=The Fossils of Montceau-les-Mines |magazine=Scientific American |pages=104–111 |volume=259 |issue=3 |bibcode=1988SciAm.259c.104H |doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0988-104 |issn=0036-8733 |jstor=24989233}}</ref>
|[[File:Idmonarachne_brasieri_reconstruction.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Idmonarachne]]'', an [[arachnid]] that is related to [[spider]]s]]
|-
|[[Chemnitz petrified forest]]
|291 Ma
|[[Saxony]], {{Flag|Germany}}
|A [[Petrified wood|petrified forest]] in Germany that is composed of ''[[Arthropitys bistriata]]'', a type of [[Calamites]], giant [[horsetails]] that are ancestors of modern [[Equisetum|horsetails]], found on this location with never seen multiple branches. Many more plants and animals from this excavation are still in an ongoing research.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Luthardt |first1=Ludwig |last2=Rößler |first2=Ronny |last3=Schneider |first3=Joerg W. |date=1 January 2016 |title=Palaeoclimatic and site-specific conditions in the early Permian fossil forest of Chemnitz—Sedimentological, geochemical and palaeobotanical evidence |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018215005775 |journal=[[Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology]] |volume=441 |issue= |pages=627–652 |bibcode=2016PPP...441..627L |doi=10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.10.015 |url-access=subscription |access-date=8 June 2022}}</ref>
|[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-C1113-0001-001, Chemnitz, Versteinerte Bäume.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|Large trunks of ''Arthropitys'' at Chemnitz]]
|-
|[[Kupferschiefer]]
|259–255 Ma
|(North-Central [[Europe]])
{{Flag|Denmark}}, {{Flag|Germany}}, {{Flag|Lithuania}}, {{Flag|Netherlands}}, {{Flag|Poland}}, {{Flag|Russia}}
|This site deposited in an open marine and shallow marine environment provides fossils of reptiles as well as many fish.
|[[File:Weigeltisaurus_reconstruction.png|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Weigeltisaurus]]'', gliding [[weigeltisaurid]] reptile]]
|-
|Luoping Biota ([[Guanling Formation]])<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hu |first1=Shi-xue |last2=Zhang |first2=Qi-yue |last3=Chen |first3=Zhong-Qiang |last4=Zhou |first4=Chang-yong |last5=Lü |first5=Tao |last6=Xie |first6=Tao |last7=Wen |first7=Wen |last8=Huang |first8=Jin-yuan |last9=Benton |first9=Michael J. |date=2011-08-07 |title=The Luoping biota: exceptional preservation, and new evidence on the Triassic recovery from end-Permian mass extinction |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |language=en |volume=278 |issue=1716 |pages=2274–2282 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2010.2235 |issn=0962-8452 |pmc=3119007 |pmid=21183583}}</ref>
|~247-245 Ma
|[[Yunnan]], {{Flag|China}}
|Various marine animals are preserved in this site, showing how marine ecosystem recovered after Permian extinction.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Jun |last2=Martin Sander |first2=P. |date=2019-01-01 |title=The Vossenveld Formation and biotic recovery from the Permo-Triassic extinction |url=https://natuurtijdschriften.nl/pub/1021530/ |journal=Staringia |language=en |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=147–152 |issn=0165-2354}}</ref>
|[[File:Barracudasauroides panxianensis MHNT Chine.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Barracudasauroides]]'', an ichthyosaur preserved in articulation from the Guanling Formation]]
|-
|[[Grès à Voltzia]]
|245 Ma
|{{Flag|France}}
|A fossil site which have various arthropods as well as other fauna, remarkable for its detailed myriapod specimens.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shear |first1=W. A. |last2=Selden |first2=Paul A. |last3=Gall |first3=Jean-Claude |date=June 2009 |title=Millipedes from the Grès à Voltzia, Triassic of France, with comments on Mesozoic millipedes (Diplopoda: Helminthomorpha: Eugnatha) |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233580187 |journal=[[International Journal of Myriapodology]] |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=1–13 |doi=10.1163/187525409X462395 |doi-broken-date=1 July 2025 |hdl=1808/8337 |access-date=18 June 2023 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> It also contains the earliest known [[aphid]] fossils.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Szwedo |first1=Jacek |last2=Nel |first2=André |date=1 December 2011 |title=The Oldest Aphid Insect from the Middle Triassic of the Vosges, France |journal=[[Acta Palaeontologica Polonica]] |language=en |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=757–766 |doi=10.4202/app.2010.0034 |bibcode=2011AcPaP..56..757S |issn=0567-7920 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
|[[File:Mirasaura_grauvogeli_SMNS_97278.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|Skull of ''[[Mirasaura]]'', a reptile with large dorsal crest over its back]]
|-
|[[Besano Formation]]<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Flannery Sutherland |first1=Joseph T. |last2=Moon |first2=Benjamin C. |last3=Stubbs |first3=Thomas L. |last4=Benton |first4=Michael J. |date=2019-02-27 |title=Does exceptional preservation distort our view of disparity in the fossil record? |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |language=en |volume=286 |issue=1897 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2019.0091 |issn=0962-8452 |pmc=6408902 |pmid=30963850 |article-number=20190091}}</ref>
|242 Ma
|[[Alps]], {{Flag|Italy}} and {{Flag|Switzerland}}
|This formation is designated as a [[World Heritage Site]], as it is famous for its preservation of Middle Triassic marine life including fish and aquatic reptiles.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":27">{{Cite journal |last1=Klug |first1=Christian |last2=Spiekman |first2=Stephan N. F. |last3=Bastiaans |first3=Dylan |last4=Scheffold |first4=Beat |last5=Scheyer |first5=Torsten M. |date=2024-03-04 |title=The marine conservation deposits of Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland, Italy): the prototype of Triassic black shale Lagerstätten |journal=[[Swiss Journal of Palaeontology]] |language=en |volume=143 |issue=1 |page=11 |bibcode=2024SwJP..143...11K |doi=10.1186/s13358-024-00308-7 |issn=1664-2384 |pmc=10912274 |pmid=38450287 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
|[[File:Cymbospondylus buchseri skeleton 01.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Cymbospondylus]]'', one of the many marine reptile specimens preserved in articulation from the Besano Formation]]
|-
|[[Madygen Formation]]
|230 Ma
|{{Flag|Kyrgyzstan}}
|The Madygen Formation is renowned for the preservation of more than 20,000 fossil insects, making it one of the richest Triassic lagerstätten in the world. Other vertebrate fossils as fish, [[amphibian]]s, reptiles and [[synapsid]]s have been recovered from the formation too, as well as minor fossil flora.
|[[File:Sharovipteryx mirabilis fossil.JPG|center|thumb|200px|A cast of the [[holotype]] of ''[[Sharovipteryx]]'', a well-preserved gliding reptile]]
|-
|[[Cow Branch Formation]]
|230 Ma
|[[Virginia]], {{Flag|US}}
|This site preserves a wide variety of organisms (including Fish, reptiles, [[arachnid]]s, and [[insect]]s).
|[[File:Mecistotrachelos VMNH blog specimens.png|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Mecistotrachelos]]'', a gliding reptile distantly related to [[Archosauromorpha|archosauromorphs]], like [[Crocodilia|crocodylians]] and [[dinosaur]]s]]
|-
|[[Holzmaden]]/[[Posidonia Shale]]
|183 Ma
|[[Württemberg]], {{Flag|Germany}}
|The Sachrang member is among the most important formations of the Toarcian boundary, due to the concentrations of exceptionally well-preserved complete skeletons of fossil marine fish and reptiles. It was also deposited during the [[TOAE]].<ref name="RuebsamEtAl2023">{{cite journal |last1=Ruebsam |first1=W. |last2=Schmid-Röhl |first2=A. |last3=Al-Husseini |first3=M. |date=2023 |title=Astronomical timescale for the early Toarcian (Early Jurassic) Posidonia Shale and global environmental changes |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018223002377 |journal=[[Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology]] |volume=623 |bibcode=2023PPP...62311619R |doi=10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111619 |s2cid=258545235 |url-access=subscription |access-date=10 July 2023 |article-number=111619}}</ref><ref name="RöhlEtAl2011">{{cite journal |last1=Röhl |first1=Hans-Joachim |last2=Schmid-Röhl |first2=Annette |last3=Oschmann |first3=Wolfgang |last4=Frimmel |first4=Andreas |last5=Schwark |first5=Lorenz |date=1 January 2011 |title=The Posidonia Shale (Lower Toarcian) of SW-Germany: an oxygen-depleted ecosystem controlled by sea level and palaeoclimate |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018200001528 |journal=[[Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology]] |volume=165 |issue=1–2 |pages=27–52 |doi=10.1016/S0031-0182(00)00152-8 |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 July 2023}}</ref>
|[[File:Ichtyosaurier Stenopterygius crassicostatus v. Huene mit 5 Embryonen 02.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|A specimen of the [[Ichthyosauria|ichthyosaur]] ''[[Stenopterygius crassicostatus]]'' with preserved young]]
|-
|[[La Voulte-sur-Rhône (lagerstätte)|La Voulte-sur-Rhône]]
|160 Mya
|[[Ardèche]], {{Flag|France}}
|La Voulte-sur-Rhône, in the [[Ardèche]] region of southwestern [[France]], offers paleontologists an outstanding view of an undisturbed [[Paleoecology|paleoecosystem]] that was preserved in fine detail. Notable finds include [[retinal]] structures in the eyes of [[thylacocephala]]n arthropods, and fossilized relatives of the modern day [[vampire squid]], like ''[[Vampyronassa rhodanica]].''
|[[File:Rhomboteuthis lehmani.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|A rare well-preserved cephalopod, ''[[Rhomboteuthis]]'']]
|-
|[[Karabastau Formation]]
|155.7 Ma
|{{Flag|Kazakhstan}}
|This site is an important locality for insect fossils that has been studied since the early 20th century, alongside the rarer remains of vertebrates, including [[pterosaur]]s, [[salamander]]s, [[lizard]]s and [[crocodile]]s.
|[[File:Sordes pilosus skeleton (cropped).JPG|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Sordes]]'', small [[pterosaur]] with visible soft-tissues preserved]]
|-
|[[Tiaojishan Formation]]
|165-153 Ma
|[[Liaoning Province]], {{Flag|China}}
|It is known for its exceptionally preserved fossils, including those
of plants, insects and vertebrates. It is made up mainly of [[pyroclastic rock]] interspersed with basic volcanic and [[sedimentary rock]]s. Forms a part of the [[Yanliao Biota]].
|[[File:Anchiornis-Beijing Museum of Natural History.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Anchiornis]]'', small feathered [[Anchiornithidae|anchiornithid]] dinosaur]]
|-
|[[Solnhofen Limestone|Solnhofen Archipelago Lagerstätten]] (including the [[Altmühltal Formation|Altmühltal]], [[Painten Formation|Painten]], [[Torleite Formation|Torleite]], and [[Mörnsheim Formation|Mörnsheim]] Formations)
|149-148 Ma
|[[Bavaria]], {{Flag|Germany}}
|This site is unique as it preserves a rare assemblage of [[fossil]]ized organisms, including highly detailed imprints of soft bodied organisms such as [[Jellyfish|sea jellies]]. The most familiar fossils of the [[Solnhofen Plattenkalk]] include the early feathered [[theropod]] dinosaur ''[[Archaeopteryx]]'' preserved in such detail that they are among the most famous and most beautiful fossils in the world.
|[[File:Archaeopteryx lithographica (Berlin specimen).jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|The Berlin Specimen of [[Archaeopteryx Lithographica|''Archaeopteryx lithographica'']]]]
|-
|[[Las Hoyas]]
|about 125 Ma ([[Barremian]])
|[[Cuenca, Spain|Cuenca]], {{Flag|Spain}}
|The site is mostly known for its exquisitely preserved dinosaurs, especially [[Enantiornithes|enantiornithines]]. The lithology of the formation mostly consists of [[Lacustrine deposits|lacustarine]] [[limestone]] deposited in a freshwater wetland environment.
|[[File:Concornis lacustris 34.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Concornis]]'', an early [[Enantiornithes|enantiornithean]] ]]
|-
|[[Jehol Biota]]
|125–119 Ma
|Northeast {{Flag|China}}
|Contains at minimum the [[Yixian Formation|Yixian]] and [[Jiufotang Formation|Jiufotang]] formations, probably also the [[Dabeigou Formation|Dabeigou]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhou |first1=ZhongHe |last2=Wang |first2=Yuan |date=2010-12-01 |title=Vertebrate diversity of the Jehol Biota as compared with other lagerstätten |journal=Science China Earth Sciences |language=en |volume=53 |issue=12 |pages=1894–1907 |bibcode=2010ScChD..53.1894Z |doi=10.1007/s11430-010-4094-9 |issn=1869-1897}}</ref> [[Huajiying Formation|Huajiying]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Zhou |first=Zhonghe |date=2014-12-01 |title=The Jehol Biota, an Early Cretaceous terrestrial Lagerstätte: new discoveries and implications |url=https://academic.oup.com/nsr/article/1/4/543/1508504 |journal=National Science Review |language=en |volume=1 |issue=4 |pages=543–559 |doi=10.1093/nsr/nwu055 |issn=2053-714X|doi-access=free }}</ref> and maybe the [[Sinuiju]] series of [[North Korea]].<ref name="Lietal2007">Li, Quanguo, Gao, Ke-qin (2007). "Lower Cretaceous vertebrate fauna from the Sinuiju basin, North Korea as evidence of geographic extension of the Jehol Biota into the Korean Peninsula". ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology'' 27, supplement to number (3). pp.106A.</ref> This biota is known for its exceptional preservation of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, fish, insects and other animals within a high altitude lake with periodic [[volcaniclastics]] from nearby volcanoes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Laiming |last2=Yin |first2=Yitian |last3=Wang |first3=Chengshan |date=2021 |title=High-Altitude and Cold Habitat for the Early Cretaceous Feathered Dinosaurs at Sihetun, Western Liaoning, China |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2021GL094370 |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |language=en |volume=48 |issue=14 |article-number=e2021GL094370 |doi=10.1029/2021GL094370 |bibcode=2021GeoRL..4894370Z |issn=1944-8007|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Lijun |last2=Zheng |first2=Daran |last3=Chang |first3=Su-Chin |last4=Fang |first4=Yanan |last5=Li |first5=Yuling |last6=Wang |first6=Bo |last7=Zhang |first7=Haichun |date=2022-01-01 |title=New age constraints on the early Jehol Biota of Luanping, northeastern China |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018221005332 |journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |volume=585 |article-number=110748 |doi=10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110748 |bibcode=2022PPP...58510748Z |issn=0031-0182|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
|[[File:Sinosauropteryxfossil.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Sinosauropteryx]]'', the first non-avain dinosaur with evidence of feathers to have been recognized]]
|-
|[[Santana Group]]
|113-92 Ma
|northeast {{Flag|Brazil}}
|Contains the [[Crato Formation|Crato]] and [[Romualdo Formation|Romualdo]] Formations<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Filho |first1=Edilson Bezerra dos Santos |last2=Adami-Rodrigues |first2=Karen |last3=Lima |first3=Flaviana Jorge de |last4=Bantim |first4=Renan Alfredo Machado |last5=Wappler |first5=Torsten |last6=Saraiva |first6=Antônio Álamo Feitosa |date=9 August 2019 |title=Evidence of plant–insect interaction in the Early Cretaceous Flora from the Crato Formation, Araripe Basin, Northeast Brazil |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2017.1408611 |journal=[[Historical Biology]] |language=en |volume=31 |issue=7 |pages=926–937 |bibcode=2019HBio...31..926F |doi=10.1080/08912963.2017.1408611 |issn=0891-2963 |url-access=subscription |access-date=21 May 2024 |via=Taylor and Francis Online}}</ref> Both sites are known for their exceptional preservation of [[pterosaur]]s, fish, invertebrates, and plants from a lake environment.
|[[File:Tupandactylus navigans skeleton.PNG|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Tupandactylus]]'', a fossil [[pterosaur]] that was preserved with feathers and other soft tissues intact ]]
|-
|[[Sannine Formation]]
([[Sannine Formation|Haqel, Hjoula, and al-Nammoura]] ''lagerstätten)''
|95-94 Ma
|{{Flag|Lebanon}}
|Famous Lebanese ''konservat-lagerstätten'' of the Late [[Cretaceous]] (middle to late [[Cenomanian]]) age, which contain a well-preserved variety of different fossils. Small animals like shrimp, octopus, stingrays, and bony fishes are common finds at these sites. Some of the rarest fossils from this locality include those of [[octopus]]es.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=George |first1=Hady |last2=Bazzi |first2=Mohamad |last3=Hossny |first3=Tamara El |last4=Ashraf |first4=Nida |last5=Saad |first5=Pierre Abi |last6=Clements |first6=Thomas |date=2024-04-29 |title=The famous fish beds of Lebanon: the Upper Cretaceous Lagerstätten of Haqel, Hjoula, Nammoura, and Sahel Aalma |journal=Journal of the Geological Society |language=en |volume=181 |issue=5 |bibcode=2024JGSoc.181..210G |doi=10.1144/jgs2023-210 |issn=0016-7649 |doi-access=free |article-number=jgs2023-210}}</ref>
|[[File:Ichthyoceros_fossil.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px| ''[[Ichthyoceros]]'', a [[pycnodont]] [[actinopterygian]]]]
|-
|[[Burmese amber]]
|101-99 Ma (latest Albian/earliest [[Cenomanian]])
|{{Flag|Myanmar}}
|More than 1,000 species of taxa have been described from ambers from [[Hukawng Valley]]. While it is important for understanding the evolution of biota, mainly insects, during the Cretaceous period, it is also extremely controversial by facing ethical issues due to its association with conflicts and labor conditions.
|[[File:Oculudentavis_naga_specimen.jpg|center|thumb|200x200px|''[[Oculudentavis]]'', small-sized lizard]]
|-
|[[London Clay]]<ref name=":11">{{Cite journal |last1=Roden |first1=Vanessa Julie |last2=Hausmann |first2=Imelda M. |last3=Nützel |first3=Alexander |last4=Seuss |first4=Barbara |last5=Reich |first5=Mike |last6=Urlichs |first6=Max |last7=Hagdorn |first7=Hans |last8=Kiessling |first8=Wolfgang |date=2020 |title=Fossil liberation: a model to explain high biodiversity in the Triassic Cassian Formation |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pala.12441 |journal=Palaeontology |language=en |volume=63 |issue=1 |pages=85–102 |bibcode=2020Palgy..63...85R |doi=10.1111/pala.12441 |issn=1475-4983|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
|54–48 Ma 
|England, {{Flag|UK}}
|Collected for close to 300 years, Plant fossils, especially seeds and fruits, are found in abundance.<br /> Some 350 named species of plant have been found, making the London Clay flora one of the world's most diverse for fossil seeds and fruits. The flora includes tropical taxa found in modern Asia, reflecting the much warmer climate of the [[early Eocene]]. Also is considered a potential "Liberation lagerstätte"<sup>[[Lagerstätte#Notes|see notes]]</sup>
|[[File:Brychaetus muelleri skull and anterior body.jpg|center|thumb|174x174px|''[[Brychaetus|Brychaetus muelleri]],'' fish skull]]
|-
|[[Green River Formation]]
|50 Ma
|[[Colorado]]/[[Utah]]/[[Wyoming]], {{Flag|US}}
|An Eocene aged site that is noted for the fish fauna preserved. Other fossils include the [[crocodilians]], [[birds]], and [[mammal]]s.
|[[File:Diplomystus and Knightia Green River Fm WY.jpg|thumb|center|upright|''[[Diplomystus]]'' and ''[[Knightia]]'']]
|-
|[[Monte Bolca]]
|50-49 Ma
|[[Verona]], {{Flag|Italy}}
|A fossil site with specimens of fish and other organisms that are so highly preserved that their [[Organ (biology)|organs]] are often completely intact in fossil form, and even the skin color can sometimes be determined. It is assumed that mud at the site was low in oxygen, preventing both decay and the mixing action of scavengers from harming the fossils.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last1=Friedman |first1=Matt |last2=Carnevale |first2=Giorgio |date=2018 |title=The Bolca Lagerstätten: shallow marine life in the Eocene |url=https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.1144/jgs2017-164 |journal=Journal of the Geological Society |language=en |volume=175 |issue=4 |pages=569–579 |bibcode=2018JGSoc.175..569F |doi=10.1144/jgs2017-164 |issn=0016-7649 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
|[[File:Naturkundemuseum Berlin - Archaeophis proavus Massalongo - Monte Bolca.jpg|thumb|center|upright|A complete ''[[Archaeophis|Archaeophis proavus]]'']]
|-
|[[Messel Pit|Messel Formation]]
|47 Ma 
|Hessen, {{Flag|Germany}}
|This site has significant geological and scientific importance. Over 1000 species of plants and animals have been found at the site. After almost becoming a landfill, strong local resistance eventually stopped these plans and the Messel Pit was declared a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] on 9 December 1995. Significant scientific discoveries about the early evolution of mammals and birds are still being made at the Messel Pit, and the site has increasingly become a tourist site as well.
|[[File:Masillamys Senckenberg 2007-01.JPG|thumb|center|upright|''[[Masillamys]]'' sp., an [[Ischyromyidae|ischyromyid]] [[rodent]]]]
|-
|[[Baltic amber]]
|47-35 Ma ([[Lutetian]] to [[Priabonian]])
|[[Pomeranian Voivodeship]], {{Flag|Poland}} & [[Kaliningrad Oblast]], {{Flag|Russia}}
|The largest amber deposit on Earth, this amber is part of the [[Prussian Formation]], and preserves a high diversity of exceptionally well-preserved fossil invertebrates, plants, and small vertebrates that inhabited eastern Europe during the warmer, subtropical conditions of the middle Eocene. It is the largest world's single largest repository of fossil insects.<ref name="Perkovsky2007">{{cite journal |last1=Perkovsky |first1=E. E. |last2=Rasnitsyn |first2=A. P. |last3=Vlaskin |first3=A. P. |last4=Taraschuk |first4=M. V. |year=2007 |title=A comparative analysis of the Baltic and Rovno amber arthropod faunas: representative samples |journal=African Invertebrates |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=229–245}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last1=Rikkinen |first1=Jouko |title=Morphological Convergence in Forest Microfungi Provides a Proxy for Paleogene Forest Structure |date=2018 |work=Transformative Paleobotany |pages=527–549 |publisher=Elsevier |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-813012-4.00022-x |isbn=978-0-12-813012-4 |last2=Schmidt |first2=Alexander R.}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last1=Heinrichs |first1=Jochen |title=A Comprehensive Assessment of the Fossil Record of Liverworts in Amber |date=2018 |work=Transformative Paleobotany |pages=213–252 |publisher=Elsevier |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-813012-4.00012-7 |isbn=978-0-12-813012-4 |last2=Feldberg |first2=Kathrin |last3=Bechteler |first3=Julia |last4=Regalado |first4=Ledis |last5=Renner |first5=Matthew A.M. |last6=Schäfer-Verwimp |first6=Alfons |last7=Gröhn |first7=Carsten |last8=Müller |first8=Patrick |last9=Schneider |first9=Harald }}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Wolfe |first1=Alexander P. |last2=McKellar |first2=Ryan C. |last3=Tappert |first3=Ralf |last4=Sodhi |first4=Rana N.S. |last5=Muehlenbachs |first5=Karlis |date=2016 |title=Bitterfeld amber is not Baltic amber: Three geochemical tests and further constraints on the botanical affinities of succinite |journal=Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology |volume=225 |pages=21–32 |bibcode=2016RPaPa.225...21W |doi=10.1016/j.revpalbo.2015.11.002 |issn=0034-6667}}</ref>
|[[File:Deutsches Bernsteinmuseum 04 (cropped).jpg|center|thumb|170x170px|''[[Yantarogekko]]'', a [[gecko]]]]
|-
|[[Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh)|Riversleigh]]
|25–15 Ma
|[[Queensland]], {{Flag|Australia}}
|This locality is recognised for the series of well preserved fossils deposited from the [[Late Oligocene]] to the [[Miocene]]. The fossiliferous limestone system is located near the [[Gregory River (Australia)|Gregory River]] in the north-west of [[Queensland]], an environment that was once a very wet rainforest that became more arid as the Gondwanan land masses separated and the Australian continent moved north.
|[[File:Reconstruction of Nimbadon lavarackorum mother and juvenile - journal.pone.0048213.g002.png|thumb|293x293px|Reconstruction of the [[Diprotodontia|diprotodont]] marsupial [[Nimbadon|''Nimbadon lavarackorum'']].|center]]
|-
|[[Shanwang National Geological Park|Shanwang Formation]]
|18-17 Ma
|[[Shandong|Shandong Province]], {{Flag|China}}
|Fossils have been found at this site in dozens of categories, representing over 600 separate species. Animal fossils include insects, fish, spiders, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Insect fossils have clear, intact veins. Some have retained beautiful colours.
|[[File:Lusorex taishanensis.jpg|thumb|219x219px|Fossil of ''[[Lusorex]]''|center]]
|-
|[[Pisco Formation]]
|15-2 Ma
|[[Department of Arequipa|Arequipa]] & [[Department of Ica|Ica]], {{Flag|Peru}}
|Several specialists consider the Pisco Formation one of the most important ''lagerstätten'', based on the large amount of exceptionally preserved marine fossils, including sharks (most notably [[megalodon]]), [[penguin]]s, [[whale]]s, [[dolphin]]s, birds, marine crocodiles and aquatic [[giant sloth]]s.
|[[File:Acrophyseter deinodon restoration.jpg|thumb|200x200px|Reconstruction of the [[Macroraptorial sperm whale|macroraptorial]] stem-[[Physeteroidea|physeteroid]] whale ''[[Acrophyseter]]''.|center]]
|-
|[[Ashfall Fossil Beds]]
|11.83 Ma
|[[Nebraska]], {{Flag|US}}
|The Ashfall Fossil Beds of [[Antelope County, Nebraska|Antelope County]] in northeastern [[Nebraska]] are rare [[fossil]] sites of the type called ''lagerstätten'' that, due to extraordinary local conditions, capture an ecological "snapshot" in time of a range of well-preserved fossilized organisms. Ash from a [[Yellowstone hotspot]] eruption 10-12 million years ago created these fossilized [[bone bed]]s.
|[[File:Ashfall Fossil Beds - Teleoceras and Cormohipparion.jpg|thumb|200x200px|A bone-bed containing the fossils of the basal rhino ''[[Teleoceras]]'' and the three-toed horse ''[[Cormohipparion]]''.|center]]
|-
|[[Gray Fossil Site]]
|4.9-4.5 Ma
|[[Tennessee]], {{Flag|US}}
|As the first site of its age known from the [[Appalachia]]n region, the Gray Fossil Site is a unique window into the past. Research at the site has yielded many surprising discoveries, including new species of [[red panda]], [[rhinoceros]], [[Emydidae|pond turtle]], [[Hickory|hickory tree]], and more. The site also hosts the world's largest known assemblage of fossil [[tapir]]s.
|[[File:Skull of Pristinailurus bristoli.jpg|thumb|Fossil skull of ''[[Pristinailurus]]'', a North American relative of the modern Red Panda|center]]
|-
|[[The Mammoth Site]]
|26 [[kiloannum|Ka]]
|[[South Dakota]], {{Flag|US}}
|The facility encloses a prehistoric [[sinkhole]] that formed and was slowly filled with [[sediment]]s during the [[Pleistocene]] era. As of 2016, the remains of 61 [[mammoth]]s, including 58 North American [[Columbian mammoth|Columbian]] and 3 [[woolly mammoth]]s had been recovered. Mammoth bones were found at the site in 1974, and a museum and building enclosing the site were established.
|[[File:Arctodus_Simus,_Hot_Springs,_South_Dakota.jpg|alt=Fossil skeleton of Arctodus simus, a large species of "short-faced" bear that was one of North America's largest predators during the Pleistocene|thumb|200x200px|Fossil skeleton of ''[[Arctodus simus]]'', a large species of "short-faced" bear that was one of North America's largest predators during the Pleistocene.|center]]
|-
|Rancho [[La Brea Tar Pits]]
|40–12 Ka
|[[California]], {{Flag|US}}
|A group of [[tar pit]]s where natural [[Bitumen|asphalt]] (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; ''brea'' in Spanish) has seeped up from the ground for tens of thousands of years. Over many centuries, the bones of trapped animals have been preserved. Among the prehistoric species associated with the La Brea Tar Pits are [[Pleistocene]] mammoths, [[Dire wolf|dire wolves]], [[Arctodus|short-faced bears]], [[American lion]]s, [[ground sloth]]s, and, the [[State Fossil|state fossil]] of [[California]], the saber-toothed cat (''[[Smilodon fatalis]]'').
|[[File:Mammuthus columbi Page.jpg|thumb|200x200px|Fossil skeleton of ''[[Mammuthus columbi]]'' excavated from the tar pits|center]]
|-
|[[Naracoorte Caves]]
|500-1 [[kiloannum|Ka]]
|[[South Australia]], {{Flag|Australia}}
|A series of caves that preserve numerous pleistocene [[megafauna]], like ''Thylacoleo'', and is recognized as a World heritage site alongside the older, but geographically similar Riversleigh site.
|[[File:Thylacoleo skeleton in Naracoorte Caves.jpg|thumb|200x200px|Skeleton of ''Thylacoleo'' at the Naracoorte Caves|center]]
|}

==See also==
* [[List of fossil sites]] (with link directory)
* [[Bog body]], modern human remains similarly exceptionally preserved within peat bogs, useful for similar reasons within the field of archaeology.
* [[Hoard]], a concentration of human artifacts useful for similar reasons in archaeology

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Penney, D. (ed.) 2010. ''Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits''. Siri Scienfic Press, Manchester, 304 pp.
* {{cite web
 | year=2003
 | url=http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Lagerstatten/
 | title=Fossil Lagerstätten
 | publisher=Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol
 | access-date=2005-11-21
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612022023/http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Lagerstatten/
 | archive-date=12 June 2007
 }} – A catalogue of sites of exceptional fossil preservation produced by MSc palaeobiology students at University of Bristol's Department of Earth Sciences.
* {{cite journal |doi= 10.1144/jgs.157.1.173 |last= Orr|first= Patrick J.|author2=David J. Siveter|date=1 January 2000|title= Three-dimensional preservation of a non-biomineralized arthropod in concretions in Silurian volcaniclastic rocks from Herefordshire, England|journal= [[Journal of the Geological Society]]|volume= 157|issue = 1|pages= 173–86|bibcode= 2000JGSoc.157..173O|s2cid= 129635160|url= http://jgs.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/157/1/173|access-date= 2006-10-26 |author-link2= David J. Siveter}}
* {{cite journal |doi= 10.1016/j.tree.2024.04.004 |last= Kimmig|first= Julien|author2=James D. Schiffbauer|date=25 April 2024|title= A modern definition of Fossil-Lagerstätten|journal= [[Trends in Ecology and Evolution]]|volume= 39|issue = 6|pages= 621–624|pmid= 38670863|bibcode= 2024TEcoE..39..621K|url= https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/abstract/S0169-5347(24)00086-7|access-date= 2024-05-05|url-access= subscription}}

{{Burgess shale type preservation}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Lagerstätten| ]]