Darwinius

Darwinius
Temporal range: Middle Eocene, 47 Ma
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Main slab of the Darwinius masillae holotype fossil (specimen PMO 214.214)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: †Adapidae
Genus: †Darwinius
Franzen et al., 2009
Species:
†D. masillae
Binomial name
†Darwinius masillae
Franzen et al., 2009

Darwinius is a genus within the infraorder Adapiformes, a group of basal strepsirrhine primates from the middle Eocene epoch. Its only known species, Darwinius masillae, lived approximately 47 million years ago (Lutetian stage) based on dating of the fossil site.[1]

The only known fossil, called Ida, was discovered in 1983[2] at the Messel pit, a disused quarry near the village of Messel, about 35 km (22 mi) southeast of Frankfurt, Germany. The fossil, divided into a slab and partial counterslab after the amateur excavation and sold separately, was not reassembled until 2007. The fossil is of a juvenile female, approximately 58 cm (23 in) overall length, with the head and body length excluding the tail being about 24 cm (9.4 in). It is estimated that Ida died at about 80–85% of her projected adult body and limb length.[3]

The genus Darwinius was named in commemoration of the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and the species name masillae honors Messel where the specimen was found. The creature appeared superficially similar to a modern lemur.[3][4]

The authors of the paper describing Darwinius classified it as a member of the primate family Notharctidae, subfamily Cercamoniinae,[3] suggesting that it has the status of a significant transitional form (a "link") between the prosimian and simian ("anthropoid") primate lineages.[5] Others have disagreed with this placement.[6][7][8]

Concerns have been raised about the claims made about the fossil's relative importance and the publicising of the fossil before adequate information was available for scrutiny by the academic community.[4] Some of Norway's leading biologists, among them Nils Christian Stenseth, have called the fossil an "exaggerated hoax" and stated that its presentation and popular dissemination "fundamentally violate scientific principles and ethics."[9][10][11]

  1. ^ Mertz, D. F., Renne, P. R. (2005): A numerical age for the Messel fossil deposit (UNESCO World Heritage Site) derived from 40Ar/39Ar dating on a basaltic rock fragment. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg no 255: pp 7–75.
  2. ^ Randerson, James (May 20, 2009). "Deal in Hamburg bar led scientist to Ida fossil, the 'eighth wonder of the world'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference plos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference bbc19 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Wilford, John Noble (May 16, 2009). "Analysis Shows German Fossil to Be Early Primate". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Chris Beard (May 21, 2009). "Why Ida fossil is not the missing link". New Scientist. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  7. ^ Fossil primate challenges Ida's place Nature 461, 1040 (2009)
  8. ^ "'Missing link' primate isn't a link after all". NBC News. October 21, 2009.
  9. ^ Amundsen, Trond; Folstad, Ivar; Giske, Jarl; Slagsvold, Tore; Stenseth, Nils Chr. 'Ida' er oversolgt Archived 2009-06-06 at the Wayback Machine, Aftenposten
  10. ^ – Ida er en oversolgt bløff, Nettavisen
  11. ^ – Dette er ingen 'missing link', Dagbladet, 20 May 2009