[News] Gaping Gila Monsters, Buzzing Insects, Clambering Ungulates: New Finds From Germany's

[Moontanman]

Gaping Gila Monsters, Buzzing Insects, Clambering Ungulates: New Finds From Germany's Messel Pit

ScienceDaily (Aug. 25, 2009) — Today, anyone who looks into the Messel Pit, about 20 kilometres southeast of Frankfurt, Germany, will see scattered groups of trees, bushes and grasses. Underlying the vegetation, however, are richly fossiliferous shales. Some astonishingly well-preserved fossil finds were recently recovered by scientists from these deposits, laid down in the former volcanic lake, and add exotic colour and diversity to the Eocene “Messel world” of 47 million years ago. Some representative finds of animals discovered in 2007 and 2008 were recently exhibited.

 

Gaping Gila Monsters, Buzzing Insects, Clambering Ungulates: New Finds From Germany's Messel Pit