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24T04 Darmstadt: fossil site Messel pit

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Located near the town of Messel outside of Darmstadt, about 20-minutes south from Frankfurt by train, the Grube Messel (Messel pit fossil site) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed since 1995. With perfect hindsight, it’s hard to believe people once wanted to use the pit as a garbage dump. Most fossils found thus far are dated to an age of about 48 million years (48 Ma, middle Eocene).

Near-complete fossil of equine-predecessor “propalaeotherium voigti” (c. 48 Ma). The size is comparable to a small present-day dog.
Fossil of possibly world’s earliest python: “messelopython freyi” (c. 48 Ma). The fossil itself is comparable to an adult human hand.
About 60 metres (200 feet) deep and 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide, the pit area remains an active archaeological site.

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 11 May 2024. I received neither sponsor nor support from any organization. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

One Response to “24T04 Darmstadt: fossil site Messel pit”

  1. Unknown's avatar
    Drumheller AB | Fotoeins Fotografie

    […] context with other fossil sites around the world. Four months previous in May, I visited the Messel Pit, just east of Darmstadt, Germany. Cast + original fossil: Tyrannosaurus rex (rear), age 66 to 67 […]

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