Fossil Found in Germany Hailed as a “Missing Link”
A primate fossil nicknamed Ida was unveiled in New York on May 19 by a team of international researchers who say the 47-million-year-old remains, discovered in Germany, represent a “missing link” in primate evolution.
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- The fossil was found 20 years ago in the Messel Pit and was acquired by paleontologist Hurum two years ago.
- (© dpa - Bildfunk)
Researchers are calling Ida the most complete and well-preserved primate fossil ever found. The remains were discovered in the UNESCO world heritage site known as the Messel Pit near Darmstadt, where other preserved animal remains from the Eocene, between 57 million and 36 million years ago, have been discovered.
What is especially unique about Ida is that she is nearly completely preserved, allowing scientists to analyze her in comparison with other mammals living at the time. They were able to study her bone and muscle structure, hair and organs and even uncover her final meal.
Ida’s preservation is thanks to the sub-tropical conditions that prevailed in the Messel Pit 47 million years ago which boasted a volcanic lake and steamy forest. There have also been discoveries of immaculately preserved bats, crocodiles and insects in the fossil rich area.
Ida was found in 1983 by a fossil hunter who kept her for 20 years before selling her to Thomas Perner, a German fossil dealer. It was Perner who introduced Ida to Oslo University’s National History Museum paleontologist Jorn Hurum two years ago. Hurum knew immediately what Ida’s discovery meant. He rushed to gather an international research team, which has studied her in secret over the past two years.
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- University students from Darmstadt dig for fossils in the Messel Pit, named a UNESCO world heritage site for the information it provides about the early stages of the evolution of mammals.
- (© dpa - Bildfunk)
Hurum’s team gave her the scientific name Darwinius masillae in honor of the father of the theory of human evolution, Charles Darwin, who would have celebrated his 200th birthday this year. He called her Ida after his 6-year-old daughter.
Researchers say that the 23-inch long Ida was only around six to nine months old when she died and had just weaned from her mother. The team used detective work to determine her death. They found that she had a broken wrist that likely impaired her climbing abilities and led her down to the Messel pit lake to drink The lake would have spewed bursts of poisonous volcanic gasses, suffocating Ida and causing her to fall into the sea, where she was preserved all this time in the lake bottom’s sediment.
Because Ida was found with her fur and flesh intact, the researchers have been able to uniquely link the mammalian kingdom, connecting apes and monkeys with humans.
Ida is already garnering star power following her New York press conference with Mayor Bloomberg. Search engine Google made her the subject of its logo on May 20. She is set to run on the cover of People magazine and will then travel to London for another press conference on May 26 at the Natural History Museum and finally onward to Oslo, where she will serve as the star attraction.
