Messel Pit - A Fossil Site

Ranking high on the world list of fossil sites is Grube Messel, just south of Frankfurt Germany.  In what was once a crater lake, near perfect specimens of 47 million years ago were preserved in the fine sediment later to become oil shale.  Designated as a World Heritage Nature Site by Unesco in 1995, paleontologists have been continuously unearthing remarkable specimens of plants, animals, insects and birds.  The Messel Pit is particularly noted for the intricate detail of the species which are retained in the fossil record.  Stomach and bowel contents, hair, feathers, color patterns, even parts of the skin were left intact.  Speculation exists to the this day as to the factors which enabled such preservation.  One of several likely theories suggest that gases emanated from fissures in the lake    
bottom periodically anesthetizing those unfortunate enough
to be nearby.  They also suggest the lake was near stagnant as evidenced by the type of fish that inhabited the lake.  The mud fish I saw in Ontario is virtually a living fossil as it as been around for close to a 100 million years.  It breathes through a lung blister and can survive indefinitely in oxygen deprived environments.  With little oxygen, the bacterial breakdown would be much slower, allowing sediment to cover the remains before they deteriorate significantly.

At this site one of the most spectacular finds of all time was made.  She was affectionately named Ida.  This primate was touted as a possible link in the  evolutionary chain.  Much has been written about her contribution to scientific research.

The wealth of information to be found in Messe

 seems to be inexhaustible and covers an unbelievably wide spectrum.  Conclusions and debate about climatic conditions, continental drift, species migration

 and plant and animal diversity have all spawned from specimens retrieved in the shale.  Several museums in Germany and throughout the world now  have sections devoted to the finds from this site.

Another notable contribution are the numerous examples
of the predecessors of the modern day horse.   The image to the right is typical of a host of equally preserved finds.  This horse was approximately  30 - 35 centimeters at the shoulder,
about the size of a fox terrier.  Wherever you see a fossil specimen of a horse check to see if it came from Messel.

There is an interesting story not only about the site, but its history as an open pit mine and later as a proposed garbage dump site.  The heated and protracted discussions about its destiny went so far as to become an expensive litigious affair costing millions when all was said and done.