The Messel pit (german: Grube Messel) is a disused

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...

near the village of

Messel Messel is a municipality in the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg in Hesse near Frankfurt am Main in Germany. The village is first mentioned, as ''Masilla'', in the Lorsch codex. Messel was the property of the lords of Groschlag from ca. 1400 to 1799 ...

(

Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg Darmstadt-Dieburg is a Kreis (district) in the south of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Offenbach, Aschaffenburg, Miltenberg, Odenwaldkreis, Bergstraße, Groß-Gerau, and the district-free city of Darmstadt, which it surrounds. Histor ...

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...

) about southeast of

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

Bituminous shale Oil shale is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general composition of oil shales constitut ...

was mined there. Because of its abundance of well-preserved

fossils A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

dating from the middle of the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...

, it has significant geological and scientific importance. Over 1000 species of plants and animals have been found at the site. After almost becoming a landfill, strong local resistance eventually stopped these plans and the Messel Pit was declared a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

on 9 December 1995. Significant scientific discoveries about the early evolution of mammals and birds are still being made at the Messel Pit, and the site has increasingly become a tourist site as well.

History

Brown coal and later oil shale was actively mined from 1859. The pit first became known for its wealth of

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s around 1900, but serious scientific excavation only started around the 1970s, when falling oil prices made mining the quarry uneconomical. Commercial oil shale mining ceased in 1971 and a

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel (aggregate) together. Cement mixe ...

factory built in the quarry failed the following year. The land was slotted for use as a

landfill A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the wast ...

, but the plans came to nought and the Hessian state bought the site in 1991 to secure scientific access. In the few years between the end of mining and 1974, when the state began preparing the site for garbage disposal, amateur collectors were allowed to collect fossils. The amateurs developed the " transfer technique" that enabled them to preserve the fine details of small fossils, the method still employed in preserving the fossils today. Many of the known specimens from the site have come from amateur collectors and in 1996, an amnesty on previously collected fossils was put in effect, in the hope of getting privately owned collections back into public ownership and available to science.

Depositional characteristics

The current surface of the Messel pit is roughly below the local land and is about in area. The oil-shale bed originally extended to a depth of . 47 million years ago in the

when the Messel deposits formed, the area was 10° further south than it is now. The period was very close to the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum and the climate and ecology of the site were very different, characterised by a mean annual temperature of 22°C and a large series of

maar A maar is a broad, low-relief volcanic crater caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption (an explosion which occurs when groundwater comes into contact with hot lava or magma). A maar characteristically fills with water to form a relatively shallo ...

lakes surrounded by lush sub-tropical forests that supported an incredible diversity of life. The Messel lake bed was probably a center point for drainage from nearby rivers and creeks. Kopidodon Senckenberg 2007-01

The pit deposits were formed during the

Epoch of the

Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning o ...

Period about 47 million years ago, based on dating of basalt fragments underlying fossilbearing strata. Oil shale, formed by the slow anoxic deposition of mud and dead vegetation on the lake bed, is the primary rock at the site. Its sediments extend downward and lie atop an older

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

foundation. The fossils within the shale show a remarkable clarity and preservation due to the unique depositional characteristics of the lake and so the Messel pit represents a Konservat-Lagerstätte. The upper stratifications of the lake most certainly supported a variety of organisms, but the bottom was subject to little disturbance by current, spawning a very anoxic environment. This prevented many epifaunal and infaunal species from inhabiting this niche and thus bioturbation was kept at a minimum. Overturn of the lake layers (caused by seasonal variations) lowered oxygen content near the surface and led to a periodic "die-off" of aquatic species. Combined with a relatively low rate of deposition, per year, this provided a prime environment for the preservation of fauna and flora.

Volcanic gas releases

The area around the Messel Pit is believed to have been geologically and tectonically active during the Eocene. Leading scientists hypothesize that events much like the 1986

volcanic gas Volcanic gases are gases given off by active (or, at times, by dormant) volcanoes. These include gases trapped in cavities (vesicles) in volcanic rocks, dissolved or dissociated gases in magma and lava, or gases emanating from lava, from volcani ...

releases at Lake Nyos,

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the ...

, could account for the large deposition of non-aquatic species (Franzen & Koster, 1994). Periodic subsurface shifts possibly released large concentrations of reactive gases (such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide) into the lake and adjoining ecosystems, killing susceptible organisms. During these releases, birds and bats might have fallen in if near the lake surface and terrestrials could be overwhelmed when near the lake shore. Since the lake was very deep, animals that fell in it drifted downwards into oxygen- and bacteria-poor water, where they were preserved remarkably well, being overlaid by successive layers of mud that petrified later, thus producing an aggregation of fossils of exceptional quality, quantity, integrity, and variety. However, other hypotheses have been postulated as well, and have suggested a Cyanobacteria bloom origin resulting in the poisoning of the animals. This last one was considered to be necessary in order to explain the occurrence of excellent fossils throughout the entire sedimentary sequence (Koenigswald & others, 2004).

Fossils

The Messel Pit provides the best preserved evidence of Geiseltalian flora and fauna so far discovered, with over 1000 species identified. Most other sites are lucky to contain partial

skeleton A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of an animal. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside ...

s, but Messel boasts extensive preservation of structural integrity, even going so far as to preserve the fur, feathers and "skin shadows" of some species. Unusual preservation has sparked some closely reasoned interpretations. The symptomatic "dumb-bell"-shaped bite marks on either side of the leaf vein on a fossilised leaf have been identified as the death-grip of a

carpenter ant Carpenter ants (''Camponotus'' spp.) are large () ants indigenous to many forested parts of the world. They build nests inside wood consisting of galleries chewed out with their mandibles or jaws, preferably in dead, damp wood. However, unl ...

terminally parasitized by the fungus '' Ophiocordyceps unilateralis'', that, apparently then as today, commandeered its behavior, in order to release its spores from a favourable location; it is the earliest concrete sample of fungal behavioural manipulation. The diversity of species is remarkable partly as a result of the hypothesized periodic gas releases. A brief summary of some of the fossils found at the site follows: * Nine mating pairs of fossil

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...

s have been found. The turtles, '' Allaeochelys crassesculpta'', were ''in coitus'' (in the act of having sex). They are male-female pairs, with the male's tail tucked under the female, which is how they copulate. Their death must have been rapid. It is supposed that the turtles had started mating in the aerated surface waters of the ancient lake. As they sank into deeper water, they were overcome by the release of

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a sub ...

volcanic gas. They were then buried in the lakebed sediment. Turtles belonging to this

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English ter ...

are still living. They have lost their reptilian scales, and their skin absorbs

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements ...

from the water. Normally, this is an advantage: it helps them stay submerged for long periods. However, under

anoxic The term anoxia means a total depletion in the level of oxygen, an extreme form of hypoxia or "low oxygen". The terms anoxia and hypoxia are used in various contexts: * Anoxic waters, sea water, fresh water or groundwater that are depleted of diss ...

conditions it is a disadvantage, because

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is t ...

and dissolved poisons are absorbed as well. * Over 10,000 fossilized

fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

of numerous species * Thousands of aquatic and terrestrial insects, some with distinct coloration still preserved * Innumerable small mammals including pygmy horses, large mice, primates, ground dwellers ( hedgehogs,

marsupial Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in ...

pangolin Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (, from Ancient Greek ϕολιδωτός – "clad in scales"). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', ''Phataginus'', and '' Smuts ...

s), aardvark relatives and bats. The fossilized bat specimens have provided insights into the evolution of echolocation. * Large numbers of

birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

, particularly predatory species. *

Crocodile Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant me ...

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

s and other reptiles or amphibians * Remains of over 30 distinct plant species, including palm leaves, fruits, pollen, wood, walnuts and grapevines The following is only a partial list: Darwinius masillae PMO 214

Mammals

:''

Darwinius masillae ''Darwinius'' is a genus within the infraorder Adapiformes, a group of basal strepsirrhine primates from the middle Eocene epoch. Its only known species, ''Darwinius masillae'', lived approximately 47 million years ago (Lutetian stage) based on ...

'', identified in 2009 as an

adapiform Adapiformes is a group of early primates. Adapiforms radiated throughout much of the northern continental mass (now Europe, Asia and North America), reaching as far south as northern Africa and tropical Asia. They existed from the Eocene to the ...

primate :'' Kopidodon'', an extinct arboreal cimolestan :'' Leptictidium'', an extinct omnivorous hopping mammal (of the leptictid family) :''

Propalaeotherium ''Propalaeotherium'' was an early genus of perissodactyl endemic to Europe and Asia during the early Eocene. There are currently six recognised species within the genus, with ''P. isselanum'' as the type species (named by Georges Cuvier in 1824) ...

'', an early relative of

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

s :'' Ailuravus'', a

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

:'' Peradectes'', a metatherian :''

Palaeochiropteryx ''Palaeochiropteryx'' ( ) is an extinct genus of bat from the Middle Eocene of Europe and North America. It contains three very similar species – ''Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon'' and ''Palaeochiropteryx spiegeli'', both from the famous Messel ...

'', a bat :'' Lesmesodon'', a small hyaenodontid :'' Eomanis'', an early

:'' Eurotamandua'', a scaleless,

anteater Anteater is a common name for the four extant mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua (meaning "worm tongue") commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together wit ...

-like pangolin :'' Europolemur'', a primate :''

Hyrachyus ''Hyrachyus'' (from ''Hyrax'' and grc, ὗς "pig") is an extinct genus of perissodactyl mammal that lived in Eocene Europe, North America, and Asia. Its remains have also been found in Jamaica. It is closely related to ''Lophiodon''.Hayden, ...

'', ancestor of rhinoceroses :'' Paroodectes'', an early carnivorous mammal :''

Pholidocercus ''Pholidocercus'' is an extinct monotypic genus of mammal from the Messel pit related to and resembling the modern-day hedgehog A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There a ...

'', an early hedgehog :''

Macrocranion ''Macrocranion'' is a genus of extinct mammal from the Eocene epoch of Europe and North America. Exceptional fossils have has been found in the Messel Pit of Germany. ''Macrocranion'' species are often described as forest-floor predators, abou ...

'', an early long-tailed hedgehog :'' Masillamys'', an early

:'' Messelobunodon'', an early artiodactyl :'' Godinotia'', an early primate :'' Buxolestes'', a semiaquatic,

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes we ...

-like cimolestan

Birds

:''

Palaeotis ''Palaeotis'' is a genus of paleognath birds from the middle Eocene epoch of central Europe. One species is known, ''Palaeotis weigelti''. The holotype specimen is a fossil tarsometatarsus and phalanx. Lambrect (1928) described it as an extinct ...

'', an early struthionid :'' Strigogyps sapea'' (formerly ''Aenigmavis'') a cariamiform :'' Eocoracias'', an early coraciiform with known coloration :''

Messelornis ''Messelornis'', also known as the Messel rail, is an extinct genus of gruiform bird, closely related to modern rails. It is the most abundant bird from the Messel Lagerstätte, representing roughly half of all Messel bird fossils with more than ...

'', the Messel-bird; a species of

gruiform The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and terrestrial bird families that did ...

:'' Masillastega'', a

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does incl ...

sulid :'' Lapillavis'', a possible trogonid relative :'' Cypseloramphus,'' a basal apodiform :The Messelasturidae (''

Messelastur ''Messelastur'' is a genus of messelasturid bird. It is known from the Messel pit of Germany, which dates to the Eocene.Peters, D.S. (1994) ''Messelastur gratulator'' n. gen. n. spec., ein Greifvogel as der Grube Messel (Aves: Accipitridae). ' ...

'' and ''

Tynskya ''Tynskya'' is a genus of messelasturid bird. It is known from a fossil of the North American Green River Formation and the London Clay Formation of England, both from the early Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted ...

''), carnivorous relatives of modern parrots :''

Palaeoglaux ''Palaeoglaux'' is a genus of fossil owls from the Eocene epoch. The two known species are ''P. perrierensis'' from the Upper Eocene of Quercy, France, and ''P. artophoron'' from the Middle Eocene Messel shales, Germany.Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile ...

'', an early owl with enigmatic breast feathers :''

Paraprefica ''Paraprefica'' is an extinct genus of potoo (family Nyctibiidae) from the middle Eocene (c. 48 million years ago). Its fossil remains have been found in the Messel pit at Messel, Germany. Taxonomy It is the only known member of the extinct ...

'', an early

potoo Potoos (family Nyctibiidae) are a group of birds related to the nightjars and frogmouths. They are sometimes called poor-me-ones, after their haunting calls. The family Nyctibiidae was formerly included with the nightjars in the order Caprim ...

:'' Paraortygoides'', a galliform :''

Masillaraptor ''Masillaraptor'' is an extinct genus of masillaraptorid, a groups basal falconiforms, from the Middle Eocene Messel Pit, Germany. It is a long-legged relative of the living falcons. Known species Only one species of ''Masillaraptor'' is kno ...

'', an early

falconiform The falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae (representing all extant species in the order Falconiformes). The family is divided into three subfamilies, Herpetotherinae, which inclu ...

:'' Parargornis'', an early apodiform :'' Messelirrisor'', a tiny bucerotiform closely related to hoopoes and wood-hoopoes :'' Selmes'' (an

anagram An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into ''nag a ram'', also the word ...

of "Messel"), a mousebird with stubby toes :'' Gastornis'' (formerly ''Diatryma''), a large, flightless anseriform :'' Hassiavis'',http://www.senckenberg.de/files/content/forschung/abteilung/terrzool/ornithologie/hassiavis.pdf a member of

Cypselomorphae Strisores ( ) is a clade of birds that includes the living families and orders Caprimulgidae (nightjars, nighthawks and allies), Nyctibiidae (potoos), Steatornithidae (oilbirds), Podargidae (frogmouths), Apodiformes (swifts and hummingbirds ...

:'' Quasisyndactylus'', a member of Alcediniformes :'' Vanolimicola'', a possible charadriiform :A currently unnamed

lithornithid Lithornithidae is an extinct, possibly paraphyletic (but see below) group of early paleognath birds. They are known from fossils dating to the Upper Paleocene through the Middle Eocene of North America and Europe, with possible Late Cretaceous r ...

, a

sandpiper Sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil ...

-like paleognath, the first record of its kind in Middle

Europe.

Reptiles

:'' Asiatosuchus'', a large crocodile :'' Diplocynodon'', an alligator :''

Hassiacosuchus ''Hassiacosuchus'' is an extinct genus of small alligatorid from the early Eocene of Germany, found at the Messel pit. It was named in 1935 by K. Weitzel, and the type species is ''H. haupti''. A second species, ''H. kayi'', was named in 1941 b ...

'', a durophagous alligator :'' Bergisuchus'', a

sebecosuchian Sebecosuchia is an extinct group of mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliforms that includes the families Sebecidae and Baurusuchidae. The group was long thought to have first appeared in the Late Cretaceous with the baurusuchids and become extinct in t ...

crocodiliform :'' Eoconstrictor'', 2-m snakes related to Neotropical boas, Boinae :'' Messelophis'', a tiny, live-bearing or

viviparous Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the ...

boa :'' Messelopython'', the oldest known relative of pythons :'' Cryptolacerta'', a lizard with affinities to amphisbaenians :'' Geiseltaliellus'', a lizard with affinities to

Corytophaninae Corytophanidae is a family (biology), family of iguanian lizards, also called casquehead lizards or helmeted lizards, Endemism, endemic to the New World. Nine species of casquehead lizards from three Genus, genera are recognized. Geographic rang ...

:'' Allaeochelys crassesculpta'', aquatic turtles related to ''

Carettochelys The pig-nosed turtle (''Carettochelys insculpta''), also known as the pitted-shelled turtle or Fly River turtle, is a species of turtle native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is the only living member of the family Carettochel ...

Fish

bowfin The bowfin (''Amia calva'') is a bony fish, native to North America. Common names include mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, grindle, grinnel, swamp trout, and choupique. It is regarded as a relict, being the sole surviving species of the Halecomorp ...

, variously described as ''Amia'' (the modern genus) or '' Cyclurus'' :'' Amphiperca'', an early

perch Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Per ...

:''

Palaeoperca ''Palaeoperca'' is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish that lived from the early to middle Eocene. Fossils were found in the Messel pit The Messel pit (german: Grube Messel) is a disused quarry near the village of Messel ( Landkreis Darm ...

'', another early

:'' Atractosteus'', a gar : eel

Insects

;Hemiptera *'' Wedelphus dichopteroides'' ;Hymenoptera *'' Casaleia eocenica'' *'' Cephalopone'' - ''Cephalopone grandis'' and ''Cephalopone potens'' *''

Cyrtopone ''Cyrtopone'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe. There are four described species placed into the genus, ''Cyrtopone curiosa'', ''Cyrtopone elongata'', ''Cyrtopone microcepha ...

'' - ''Cyrtopone curiosa'', ''Cyrtopone elongata'', ''Cyrtopone microcephala'', and ''Cyrtopone striata'' *'' Gesomyrmex pulcher'' *'' Messelepone leptogenoides'' *'' Pachycondyla eocenica'' *'' Pachycondyla lutzi'' *'' Pachycondyla? messeliana'' *'' Pachycondyla parvula'' *'' Pachycondyla petiolosa'' *'' Pachycondyla petrosa'' *''

Protopone ''Protopone'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe and Asia. There are seven described species placed into the genus, ''Protopone? dubia'', ''Protopone germanica'', ''Protopone ...

'' - ''Protopone? dubia'', ''Protopone germanica'', ''Protopone magna'', ''Protopone oculata'', ''Protopone sepulta'', and ''Protopone vetula'' *'' Pseudectatomma'' - ''Pseudectatomma eocenica'' and ''Pseudectatomma striatula'' *'' Titanomyrma gigantea'' *'' Titanomyrma simillima''

IUGS geological heritage site

Describing the Messel Pit Fossil Site as 'richest geosite in the world for understanding the living environment of the Eocene, as it includes exceptionally well-preserved fossils', the

International Union of Geological Sciences The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the field of geology. About The IUGS was founded in 1961 and is a Scientific Union member of the Int ...

(IUGS) included the site's Eocene record in its list of 100 'geological heritage sites', published in October 2022. The organisation defines an IUGS Geological Heritage Site as 'a key place with geological elements and/or processes of international scientific relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history.'

Access

Exhibits from the pit may be seen in the

town, the fossil Museum in Messel http://www.messelmuseum.de/index_museum.html, the Museum of Hessen in

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the fourth largest city in the state of Hesse ...

( from Messel) and also the Senckenberg Museum in

Frankfurt-am-Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian dialects, Hessian: , "Franks, Frank ford (crossing), ford on the Main (river), Main"), is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as o ...

(some from Messel). Casual visitors can park close to the pit and walk around to a viewing platform overlooking the pit. Entrance to the pit is only possible as part of a specially organized tour. File:Grube Messel fg03.jpg, File:Grube messel fg01.jpg, File:Grube messel fg02.jpg,

References

External links

Messel Pit Fossil Site / UNESCO Official Website

Explore Messel Pit Fossil Site in the UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture

Official site

Missing Link Found at Messel Pit?
{{Authority control Eocene paleontological sites Paleogene Germany Darmstadt-Dieburg Geography of Hesse Lagerstätten Cenozoic paleontological sites of Europe Paleontology in Germany Landmarks in Germany Oil shale in Germany Tourist attractions in Hesse World Heritage Sites in Germany First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites