The rock units at Wintershof that produced the only known specimen of E. schroederi are part of the Solnhofen limestones of southern Germany, which are well known for their exceptionally preserved fossils.
Historically, the stratigraphy of the Solnhofen limestones has been the subject of considerable confusion, with the variety of environments and depositional patterns contributing to the confusion.
They are now understood to consist of several geological formations in the Weißjura Group: in the strictest sense, they consist of the Altmühltal Formation to the northwest of Ingolstadt (including localities around Eichstätt), and the Painten Formation to the northeast of Ingolstadt.
Within the Altmühltal Formation, the Wintershof quarry is part of the Upper Eichstätt Member, which in terms of ammonite biostratigraphy lies in the Euvirgalithacoceras eigeltingense-β horizon between the Lithacoceras riedense and Hybonoticeras hybonotum subzones.
The deposits of the Altmühltal Formation, which have been dated to the lower Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period, consist of plattenkalk (very finely-grained limestone-based muds such as micrite) forming even, thin layers measuring about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) thick that generally lack evidence of bioturbation (disturbance by living organisms).

During the Tithonian, the plattenkalk of the Altmühltal Formation was deposited in oceanic basins (called "wannen") within a warm, shallow sea surrounding an archipelago.
These basins, which may have been lagoons, had a palaeolatitude of approximately 34° N, and were located at the northern margin of the Tethys Ocean.
Fossils of bottom-dwelling animals like brittle stars and gastropods are virtually absent, which suggests that conditions at the sea floor were inhospitable to life; this may have been caused by one of several factors including hypersalinity, oxygen depletion, or the accumulation of toxic hydrogen sulfide.
These conditions were responsible for the exceptional preservation of fossils like that of E. schroederi, which would have been predominantly transported from the surrounding land during heavy rainfall and storms.
On land, the absence of ferns and the dominance of dry-adapted conifers suggest that the climate was semi-arid.

Both Ardeosaurus brevipes and A. digitatellus were discovered at Wintershof with E. schroederi, along with Homoeosaurus maximiliani and the rhynchocephalian Pleurosaurus goldfussi.
Also known from Wintershof are the pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus muensteri, the crocodyliform Alligatorellus bavaricus, and various aquatic animals: the fish Anaethalion angustus, Ascalabos voithii, Aspidorhynchus acutirostris, Belonostomus spyraenoides, Caturus giganteus, Gyrodus circularis, Macrosemius rostratus, Palaeomacrosemius thiollieri, Propterus elongatus, and Zandtfuro tischlingeri; the angelshark Pseudorhina alifera; the squid-like coleoids Acanthoteuthis problematica, Belemnotheutis mayri, and Plesioteuthis prisca; the crinoid Saccocoma tenella, which is very common in Solnhofen deposits; the shrimp Dusa reschi; and the horseshoe crab Mesolimulus walchi.
Nearby quarries have produced the Eichstätt specimen of the avialan dinosaur Archaeopteryx lithographica, and the pterosaurs Aerodactylus scolopaciceps, Germanodactylus cristatus, and possibly Cycnorhamphus.
The rock units at Wintershof that produced the only known specimen of E. schroederi are part of the Solnhofen limestones of southern Germany, which are well known for their exceptionally preserved fossils. Historically, the stratigraphy of the Solnhofen limestones has been the subject of considerable confusion, with the variety of environments and depositional patterns contributing to the confusion. They are now understood to consist of several geological formations in the Weißjura Group: in the strictest sense, they consist of the Altmühltal Formation to the northwest of Ingolstadt (including localities around Eichstätt), and the Painten Formation to the northeast of Ingolstadt. Within the Altmühltal Formation, the Wintershof quarry is part of the Upper Eichstätt Member, which in terms of ammonite biostratigraphy lies in the Euvirgalithacoceras eigeltingense-β horizon between the Lithacoceras riedense and Hybonoticeras hybonotum subzones. The deposits of the Altmühltal Formation, which have been dated to the lower Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period, consist of plattenkalk (very finely-grained limestone-based muds such as micrite) forming even, thin layers measuring about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) thick that generally lack evidence of bioturbation (disturbance by living organisms).
During the Tithonian, the plattenkalk of the Altmühltal Formation was deposited in oceanic basins (called "wannen") within a warm, shallow sea surrounding an archipelago. These basins, which may have been lagoons, had a palaeolatitude of approximately 34° N, and were located at the northern margin of the Tethys Ocean. Fossils of bottom-dwelling animals like brittle stars and gastropods are virtually absent, which suggests that conditions at the sea floor were inhospitable to life; this may have been caused by one of several factors including hypersalinity, oxygen depletion, or the accumulation of toxic hydrogen sulfide. These conditions were responsible for the exceptional preservation of fossils like that of E. schroederi, which would have been predominantly transported from the surrounding land during heavy rainfall and storms. On land, the absence of ferns and the dominance of dry-adapted conifers suggest that the climate was semi-arid.
Both Ardeosaurus brevipes and A. digitatellus were discovered at Wintershof with E. schroederi, along with Homoeosaurus maximiliani and the rhynchocephalian Pleurosaurus goldfussi. Also known from Wintershof are the pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus muensteri, the crocodyliform Alligatorellus bavaricus, and various aquatic animals: the fish Anaethalion angustus, Ascalabos voithii, Aspidorhynchus acutirostris, Belonostomus spyraenoides, Caturus giganteus, Gyrodus circularis, Macrosemius rostratus, Palaeomacrosemius thiollieri, Propterus elongatus, and Zandtfuro tischlingeri; the angelshark Pseudorhina alifera; the squid-like coleoids Acanthoteuthis problematica, Belemnotheutis mayri, and Plesioteuthis prisca; the crinoid Saccocoma tenella, which is very common in Solnhofen deposits; the shrimp Dusa reschi; and the horseshoe crab Mesolimulus walchi. Nearby quarries have produced the Eichstätt specimen of the avialan dinosaur Archaeopteryx lithographica, and the pterosaurs Aerodactylus scolopaciceps, Germanodactylus cristatus, and possibly Cycnorhamphus.
Eichstaettisaurus