150 million years ago,Europe was an archipelago of islands in a shallow warm tropical sea. Solnhofen, was an archipelago at the edge of the Tethys Sea. The placid lagoons had limited access to the open sea and salinity rose high enough that the resulting brine could not support life. Since the lowest water was devoid of oxygen, many ordinary scavengers were absent. A few small dinosaurs and twenty-nine kinds of pterosaur have been found perserved in fine details.

Updated 121016

Ajax Rhamphorhynchus, Disney Compsognathus and Gum Ball Dimorphodon Ajax RhamphorhynchusDisney Compsognathus

There are two important dinosaur/bird fossils, Compsognathus and Archaeopteryx.  Compsognathus GeoWorld and Schleich Compsognathus was small dinosaur, is believed by many scientists to be an early relative of Archaeopteryx, the first known bird.

Archaeopteryx Wild Safari, Bullyland and Papo
Archaeopteryx is the most primitive bird yet found. Opinions on whether it flew and how well it might have flown have been divided.
Archaeopteryx Schliech, pterosaur, Microraptor and PNSO Archaeopteryx
The key features that distinguish Archaeopteryx are a long bony tail, teeth, with three claws on the wing, hyper-extensible second toes, and a partially reversed first toe. Most recently, a fossil shows leg feathers like those on Microraptor.