It was found at the Messel pit in 1983 , a disused shale quarry noted for its astonishing fossil preservation , near the village of Messel about southeast of Frankfurt am Main in Germany .
It was discovered in 1983 by an amateur at the Messel Pit . This is a disused shale quarry noted for its astonishing fossil preservation , near the village of Messel , about 35 km ( 22 miles ) southeast of Frankfurt am Main in Germany .