The Hunsruck Slate Fossils constitute a vast collection of mid Early Devonian forms of life recovered from the roof slate mines in the uplands of the Rhenish Massif. The areas are located close to the junction of the Mosel and Rhine River south and east of Koblenz, Germany. They represent the repeated layering of fine grained muddy sediments as the result of sudden surges of sea floor material transporting and burying many organisms living there. The result is the massing of many individuals that are quickly covered and preserved in close-to-life condition. This is called a Konservat-Lagerstatte. Such concentrated geologic forms are interspersed with those of less well preserved fossils. These formations are found in many parts of the world as the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale in Canada, Solnhofen Limestone of the Jurassic in Bavaria and the Eocene Messel Slates near Darmstadt among others.
Commercial mining of the roof slate tiles has been underway since the Roman times. Great activity occurred in the Middle Ages and began again in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1810 some forty slate mines were active. During all these years fossils were found but were not recognized as such. Research and appreciation of the fossil nature of these forms began in the 1840s and in the 1860s Sturtz, Roemer and others began a long series publications on them. Then and now most of the best preserved and numerous fossils are from the Bundenbach and Gemunden regions. The commonest findings are the trilobite Chotecops and the great variety of Echinoderms; masses of Crinoids, Asteroids, Ophiuroids as well as Hylothurians and Echinoids. As the setting was a shallow sea near some flowing rivers there are plants washed down from the land, large algae of the sea, the usual sponges, cnidarians, molluscs, bryozoans, brachiopods, annelids, a great variety of arthropods, some quite spectacular,as well as chelicerates and vertebrates. The latter group includes some impressive jawless Agnathans (Drepanaspis) and jawed Placoderms. In this group are stunning specimens of Gemuendina, and the highly armored Arthrodire Tiyosteus that reached six feet in length and looked like something out of a nightmare.
The book covers the history and geology of the area, early efforts in paleontology, in addition to paleogeography, community structure of the region during the Early Devonian and related topics. This publication is very well written and contains many fine illustrations. A welcome addition to the library of collectors and afficionados of life science.
