Complete primate skeleton from the Middle Eocene of Messel in Germany: morphology and paleobiology.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The best European locality for complete Eocene mammal skeletons is Grube Messel, near Darmstadt, Germany. Although the site was surrounded by a para-tropical rain forest in the Eocene, primates are remarkably rare there, and only eight fragmentary specimens were known until now. Messel has now yielded a full primate skeleton. The specimen has an unusual history: it was privately collected and sold in two parts, with only the lesser part previously known. The second part, which has just come to light, shows the skeleton to be the most complete primate known in the fossil record.

Methodology/principal findings

We describe the morphology and investigate the paleobiology of the skeleton. The specimen is described as Darwinius masillae n.gen. n.sp. belonging to the Cer

SUBMITTER: Franzen JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2683573 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature