Credit for all images goes to the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, which provided the following information:
< In the annual digs
that the Senckenberg Research Institute carries out in the Messel Pit,
an average of 3,000 fossil remains are recovered from the shale in this
UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Some particularly well-preserved
fossils discovered in 2007 and 2008 were recently exhibited. Bulldog of the lizard world A
reptile find about 80 centimetres long has been identified as an early
representative of the beaded lizards and Gila monsters (Helodermatidae).
This family, known to have existed since the Cretaceous, is found today
in the southwest of the USA and Central America. These lizards are
renowned not only for a curious combination of strength, tenacity and
deliberateness but also for being venomous. Although it is primitive in
many ways, the skeleton found in Messel already shows incipient canals
in its teeth which lead us to believe that this species was already
producing venom. “The warm climate of the Eocene may have allowed this
lineage to migrate along high-latitude routes to Europe. From studies
of the limbs and chemical analyses of the bones, we hope to learn more
about evolutionary rates and the biology of primitive members of this
unique group,” explains Dr. Krister Smith. This young reptile expert
from the USA developed a special interest in the pink-spotted
descendants of these primeval-looking animals whilst still a schoolboy. Beautiful beetles – weaver ants – leafcutter bees A metallically gleaming jewel beetle belonging to the family Buprestidae and the genus Psiloptera
still shows off its beautiful coloration, even after 47 million years.
“The exquisite coloration is created by refraction at different layers
of the chitin carapace,” explains Dr. Sonja Wedmann. The living
representatives of the genus can now only be found in the Tropics. The
insect finds of the last two years also include a queen weaver ant that
fell into the former Messel Lake during her nuptial flight and drowned
there. The living representatives of the Oecophylla genus
occur today in the Tropics of Africa and Southeast Asia. Their nests
are made of leaves which the female workers weave together with silk
from their larvae. “Since we have not yet found any nests in Messel, it
has not yet been possible to ascertain whether the weaver ants that
lived 47 million years ago could already do that,” says Dr. Sonja
Wedmann. The special fossil evidence of insects includes the
discovery of a completely preserved leaf-cutting bee. However,
morphological features show that the species found in Messel is not a
true member of the leaf-cutter group. In contrast to “real” leafcutter
bees, Friccomelissa schopowi apparently built its nest without using plant discs. Rodent in a fur coat – archaic stars – clambering ungulates The new find of a Masillamys
has been recovered nearly whole and allows identification of the
fossilised remains of its stomach contents. The extremely
well-preserved outlines of the body reveal a shadow on the skin that
leads us to the conclusion that this ancient rodent had a thick,
short-haired coat of fur. “The key feature, the single pair of
morphologically specialised chisel-shaped incisors, allow the ‘real’
rodent to be instantly recognised,” explains scientist Dr. Thomas
Lehmann, who is working on this animal. This individual, which was
discovered just before the end of the digging season in September 2007,
shows the short legs typical of the genus that lead one to assume that
the rodent once lived on the floor of the primeval forest surrounding
Messel. As has happened before, the new find of a Leptictidium auderiense
in September 2008 created a certain amount of excitement. Thanks to the
BBC documentary “Walking with Beasts,” this archaic mammal became a
star among the Messel fossils. Last year’s new find is the first
juvenile animal of this genus, which died out at the end of the Eocene.
In contrast to its still-primitive teeth, Leptictidium had a
highly specialised locomotor system. Its extraordinarily long tail with
40 vertebrae, long back legs and reduced front ones point to a bipedal
gait. “However, since features of the lumbar vertebrae might also
indicate a hopping gait, we are looking forward to new findings from
the fossil discovered in 2008,” explains Thomas Lehmann; he hopes that
a new imaging technique will reveal details that cannot yet be
discerned. The new finds also include a Kopidodon macrognathus.
Distinct shadows show the long tail to have been bushy, which is
typical of the species. The marked bony crest on its skull and the
developing permanent tooth in the area of the right canine of the upper
jaw indicate that it is an infant male. Although the long canines
suggest a predator, the molars indicate that this was a plant-eating
ungulate. “We do not yet know enough about the animal’s lifestyle. Some
features of the locomotor system, such as the very versatile shoulder,
elbow and hip joints as well as the gripping ability of the front limbs
indicate a tree-dwelling fruit-eater,” explains Thomas Lehmann. It is
an open question whether this species lived in trees or simply moved
among the branches. This mammal expert is awaiting further findings
from the well-preserved stomach contents of the new find. He remarks
that seeds, which are quite often found in the Messel shales, might
even put them on the track of the Kopidodon’s favourite fruit. The missing pieces of the jigsaw are falling into place Among
the total of 6,773 finds that were recovered from the digs in the
Messel Pit in 2007 and 2008, there were 1,929 fossilised remains of
vertebrates, 1,403 insects and 3,441 plant remains. The information
contained in the finds provide the scientists of the Senckenberg
Research Institute data on the occurrence of individual species, their
bodily structures and lifestyles, and the evolutionary history of
animal groups. In addition, the research results help to reconstruct
the Eocene environment and give clues to the relationship between
climate and biodiversity.>>
Tags: Animals
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