Detecting common ancestor fossils of humans and modern primates

Scientists have recently discovered ancestral fossils of humans with a lifespan of 47 million years. Unearthed at Messel Pit, Germany, this fossil named Darwinius masillae has 20 times more lifespan than most fossils that make up human evolution.

Given the name ' Ida ', the fossil is a transitional species - it bears characteristics from primitive non-human evolutionary lines (semifinals, represented by lemurs) but it is highly relevant. more for the evolutionary lineage of human species (human gibbons, such as monkeys, gibbons and humans). The 95% complete fossil provides the most complete understanding of the paleontology of any discovered Eocene primates until now.

The scientists' findings are published in the journal PLoS ONE of Public Library of Science.

In the past two years, a group of international scientists led by the world-famous Norwegian fossil researcher Dr. Jørn Hurum of Oslo University of Natural History has secretly conducted the analysis. Detailed legislation on this unusual fossil, they study data to answer the ancient origins of humanity. The completed Ida fossil 95% is the evolutionary milestone of our understanding of primates' evolution.

Dr Hurum said: 'This is the first link for every human being, apparently only one fossil has connected the world's heritage.' 'It's really a Rosetta stone,' says co-author and professor Philip Gingerich of the University of Michigan Paleontology Museum.

Fossils were discovered in 1983 by independent fossil collectors. They broke up and eventually sold two parts of the skeleton in separate plates: the smaller disk was restored, in this process a part of the skeleton was recreated to make it look more complete. This part was eventually sold to a private museum in Wyoming, then discovered by one of the study's authors. He was Jens L. Franzen, who realized the reconstructed part. The more complete part has just appeared recently, it currently belongs to the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo (Norway). The article in the journal PLoS ONE says that the research has finally reached a complete fossil record.

Unlike Lucy and other famous primate fossils found at Cradle of Mankind, Africa, Ida is a European fossil, located in the Messel Pit - Germany. It is the one mile wide crater, with oil-rich shale. This is also an important site where fossils of the Eocene era can be found. Fossil analysis shows that prehistoric primate Ida is a female, young. Two opposite big big toes and fingernails at the tip of the finger as well as the toes confirm this fossil is a primate. A bone called the talus bones directly linked Ida to humans.

Darwinius masillae - a new species - was discovered in Messel, Germany. (Photo: Franzen JL, Gingerich PD, Habersetzer J, Hurum JH, von Koenigswald W, et al. Article: 'Complete Primate Skeleton from the Middle Eocene of Messel in Germany: Morphology and Paleobiology', PLoS ONE, 2009; 4 ( 5): e5723 DOI: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0005723)

Ida fossils also have a complete soft body structure, the intestinal fossil part also revealed Ida is a herbivore. Ida ate mostly fruits, seeds and leaves before dying. X-ray data revealed that Ida had both baby teeth and adult teeth, and it had no combs or combs - which was a characteristic of lemurs. Scientists estimated that Ida's age when it died was about 9 months, the length of the body was about 3 feet.

Ida lived 47 million years ago in an important period in Earth's history - the Eocene era. Eocene is a time when modern mammalian blueprints are formed. Following the extinction of dinosaurs, the first horses, bats, whales and many other creatures including the first primates appear on the subtropical planet. The Earth has just begun to take on the shape we see today. Himalayas are formed, modern flora and fauna develop. Mammals live on land, including primates, living in large forests.

Ida did not have two important anatomical features of lemurs - that is, the brush strokes on the second toe, and the teeth were combed together in the middle of the lower jaw. Ida had nails, not claws. Swipe is a characteristic trait of non-human primates such as lemurs. Ida's teeth are similar to monkey teeth. Ida's forward-looking eyes are the same as ours, perhaps this feature has helped Ida's market overlap, creating a 3D market and the ability to determine its distance.

The fossil's hand also has the opposite thumb like a human. Like all other primates, Ida has 5 fingers on each hand. The thumb that is opposite to the other fingers makes it possible to grasp it accurately. In Ida's case, the above feature is useful for climbing and picking fruit. As for humans, it allows us to perform functions such as making tools or writing. Ida also has a flexible arm, which makes it possible to use both hands to do anything that cannot be done with one hand - for example, taking a shot. Like humans, Ida also has short arms and legs.

Evidence of the talus also links Ida to us. The skeleton has the same shape as the bones of humans today. Only human slugs are markedly enlarged. CT and X-rays showed that Ida died about 9 months of age, her main diet was plants and berries. Besides, it does not have a penis, indicating that it is definitely female.

The X-ray scan shows Ida's broken wrist bones that may be part of its cause of death. The left wrist is healing from a severe bone cracking accident. Scientists believe that Ida has been unconscious due to carbon dioxide when drinking water in Lake Messel. The static waters of the lake are usually covered by a layer of gas under the impact of volcanoes forming a lake. Those volcanoes were still active during Ida's life. Due to her wrist injury, Ida was unconscious and was swept into the lake, sinking to the bottom and the unique conditions there preserved Ida's skeleton for 47 million years.

The discovery of a two-year study published in Atlantic Productions' special film 'The Link' was released on Monday, May 25 at 9 pm on ET / PT and BBC One in the UK. National; and Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at the same time on the BST. The film is also released on ZDF, NRK and channels worldwide. The 'The Link' book will be published by Little Brown and Company - a segment of Hachette Book Group on Wednesday, May 20.

The famous announcer and naturalist David Attenborough said: 'This creature will show us the connection with every other mammal. That connection we often say is missing, but now it is no longer missing. '

References:
Fran JL, Gingerich PD, Habersetzer J, Hurum JH, von Koenigswald W, et al.Complete Primate Skeleton from the Middle Eocene of Messel in Germany: Morphology and Paleobiology.PLoS ONE, 2009;4 (5): e5723 DOI: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0005723