The systematic position of the oldest complete primate skeleton in the world, Darwinius masillae (aka Ida), is highly controversial. Is it mostly related to lemurs or monkeys? The incompleteness of the fossil record makes Ida a big evolutionary enigma.
The 47 million-years old fossil was found in Messel, Germany. It consists of a 98 percent complete skeleton with fur and stomach content. Having such a complete individual makes it possible to reconstruct the living animal.
The artistic reconstructions were made by Esther van Hulsen in cooperation with the scientific team that described the fossil in 2009.
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paleontology, mammals, primates |
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