DRAGONFLY FOSSILS (SOLNHOFEN)

True dragonflies (Order Odonata) first appeared during the Jurassic, though similar insects commonly referred to as dragonflies date back to the Carboniferous. While most early dragonflies were not a lot bigger than modern ones, members of the Order Meganisoptera got huge, with wingspans reaching nearly 2 1/2 feet! The Solnhofen limestone in Germany is the most famous locality for fossil dragonflies, but they are also commonly found in the Crato Formation of Brazil and in China.