In praise of the old…the very old Oct 14, 2020

In praise of the old…the very old

What better way to honor National Fossil Day than with this amazing dragonfly! It"s rare to find one in such exquisite condition, but this one was discovered in Solnhofen, Germany, where limestone deposits preserved some of the most detailed fossils ever found—including the birdlike dinosaur called Archaeopteryx. This dragonfly was preserved in the Solnhofen limestone about 150 million years ago in the Jurassic Period. It measures about 5.5 inches across.

© Ingo Arndt/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Oct 14, 2018Gone ‘lightseeing’ in Berlin
Oct 14, 2019Canadian Thanksgiving
Oct 14, 2021Happy birthday, Saguaro National Park
Oct 14, 2022Río Arazas in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Oct 14, 2023Ring of fire solar eclipse
Oct 14, 2024Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day
Oct 14, 2025Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 21, 2018Red squirrel in Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
Apr 16, 2024Union Square, Manhattan
Dec 11, 2022Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
May 12, 2025An iris garden in Tokyo, Japan
Mar 10, 2019In praise of the pipes
Aug 8, 2021Bridge to infinity
Jan 16, 2020In the valley of the doll
Feb 2, 2023Groundhog Day
Oct 14, 2022Río Arazas in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Mar 24, 2024Silvereyes in South Korea
May 5, 2020A courtyard scene from Spain
Aug 9, 2025International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
Mar 13, 2024Lake Magadi, Kenya
Sep 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast
Oct 28, 2025The Gothic Gate in the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, Czechia
Jun 4, 2023Waiānapanapa State Park, Maui, Hawaii
Oct 26, 2021Red fox
Aug 14, 2023World Lizard Day
Mar 14, 2021Perfect timing
Feb 16, 2020When an ideal microclimate gives you lemons…
Aug 1, 2019Hawaii Volcanoes National Park turns 103
Jan 26, 2019Visiting a Maratha fortress
Oct 5, 2020Hey, you two in the front!
Nov 28, 2023Giving Tuesday
Apr 13, 2023Hitsujiyama Park, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Aug 17, 2021Wanderin Wawayanda
Jan 26, 2023Heavens Gate Cave, Tianmen Mountain National Park, China
Dec 1, 2020Giving Tuesday
Jul 25, 2021Illuminated Uluru
Feb 18, 2023Eben Ice Caves, Upper Peninsula, Michigan