Paleontologists in Germany have unearthed an exceptionally rare fossil of a primitive marine turtle, Solnhofia parva, within the fine-grained limestone of the Solnhofen formation. The specimen is remarkable for the preservation of carbonized soft tissue outlines, including the skin of the flippers and fragments of internal organs.
The discovery of soft tissue in a specimen of this age allows researchers to study the musculature and circulatory systems of Jurassic reptiles for the first time. Microscopic analysis of the preserved skin reveals specialized scale patterns that likely aided in thermoregulation and hydrodynamics, confirming that early marine turtles had already developed sophisticated physiological adaptations for a fully pelagic lifestyle.