This image may take a few minutes to download on slower modems. However, it is well worth the wait to see an Archaeopteryx in flight today.
The lagoonal conditions of this time and location were exceptional. Other than bedding, there are very few sedimentary structures present, such as channeling or ripple marks. These structures indicate moderate to strong water currents. The lagoon also had to have access to the ocean since there are marine organisms, as well as land animals, preserved in this deposit. The absence of organisms that live "in situ" also indicates that the lagoon was also anoxic. Anoxic means that an area is devoid of oxygen so that very few bacteria or bioturbators can live in the area and destroy the organism before it can be preserved.
