Messel (Eocene of Germany)

Where: Hesse, Germany (49.0° N, 8.0° E: paleocoordinates 46.4° N, 3.9° E)

When: Middle Eocene (47.8 - 37.7 Ma)

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - small; lithified shale

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Preservation: adpression, charcoalification, original carbon

Collection methods: bulk,

Primary reference: M. E. Collinson, S. R. Manchester, and V. Wilde. 2012. Fossil Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Messel biota, Germany. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Gesellschaft Naturforschenden 570:1-249 [H. Wang/H. Wang/H. Wang]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 140304: authorized by Hongshan Wang, entered by Hongshan Wang on 07.03.2013, edited by Mark Uhen

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Angiospermae
 Sapindales - Rutaceae
Rutaceae indet., cf. Toddalia sp., Rutaspermum messelense, Rutaspermum chandleri
Rutaceae indet. de Jussieu 1789 citrus
cf. Toddalia sp. de Jussieu 1789 citrus
Rutaspermum messelense Collinson and Gregor 1988 citrus
Rutaspermum chandleri Collinson and Gregor 1988 citrus
 Sapindales - Simaroubaceae
Ailanthus confucii
Ailanthus confucii Unger 1850
 Huerteales - Tapisciaceae
Tapiscia pusilla
 Rosales - Ulmaceae
Cedrelospermum leptospermum
Cedrelospermum leptospermum Manchester 1987 elm
 Rosales - Rhamnaceae
Berchemia mellerae
Berchemia mellerae Collinson et al. 2012 buckthorn
 Vitales - Vitaceae
Vitaceae indet., Ampelopsis sp., Cayratia jungii, Vitis messelensis, Parthenocissus britannica, Palaeovitis sp., Crassivitisemen wildei
Vitaceae indet. Jussieu 1789
Ampelopsis sp. Michaux 1803
Cayratia jungii Chen and Manchester 2007
Vitis messelensis Collinson et al. 2012 grapevine
Palaeovitis sp. Reid and Chandler 1933
Crassivitisemen wildei Collinson et al. 2012
 Magnoliales - Myristicaceae
Myristicacarpum sp.
Myristicacarpum sp. Gregor 1977 magnoliids
 Magnoliales - Magnoliaceae
Magnolia species
 Nymphaeales -
? Nymphaeales indet.
? Nymphaeales indet. Salisbury 1820
  -
Carpolithus spp., Carpolithus callosaeoides
Carpolithus spp. Linnaeus 1768
Carpolithus callosaeoides Collinson et al. 2012
 Ranunculales - Menispermaceae
Menispermaceae indet., Tinosporeae sp., Menispermeae indet., Karinschmidtia rotulae, Wardensheppeya sp., Martinmuellera tuberculata, Cocculus lottii, ? Pericampylus sp., Diploclisia rugulosa, Parabaena cf. europaea, Stephania hootae, Palaeosinomenium sp., Palaeosinomenium venablesii, Palaeosinomenium ornamentum, Tinomiscoidea jacquesii
Menispermaceae indet. de Jussieu 1789
Tinosporeae sp. Hooker and Thomson 1855
Menispermeae indet. de Candolle 1817
Karinschmidtia rotulae Collinson et al. 2012
Wardensheppeya sp. Eyde 1970
Martinmuellera tuberculata Collinson et al. 2012
Cocculus lottii Collinson et al. 2012
? Pericampylus sp. Miers 1851
Diploclisia rugulosa Collinson et al. 2012
Parabaena cf. europaea Czeczott and Skirgiello 1967
Stephania hootae Collinson et al. 2012
Palaeosinomenium sp. Chandler 1961
Palaeosinomenium ornamentum Collinson et al. 2012
Tinomiscoidea jacquesii Collinson et al. 2012
 Cornales - Nyssaceae
Nyssa disseminata
Nyssa disseminata Kirchheimer 1937 tupelo
 Cornales - Cornaceae
Eomastixia cf. rugosa
Dicotyledoneae
 Myrtales - Lythraceae
Decodon indet.
Decodon indet. Gmelin 1791
 Ericales - Sapotaceae
cf. Sapotispermum sp.
cf. Sapotispermum sp. Reid and Chandler 1933
 Ericales - Pentaphylacaceae
Cleyera sp.
Cleyera sp. Thunberg 1783
 Ericales - Theaceae
Camelliacarpoidea messelensis
Camelliacarpoidea messelensis Collinson et al. 2012 tea
Aves
 Gruiformes - Ameghinornithidae
Aenigmavis sapea3
Aenigmavis sapea3 Peters 1987 bird
 Gruiformes - Salmilidae
Salmila robusta1
Salmila robusta1 Mayr 2000 bird
 Coraciiformes -
Quasisyndactylus longibrachis2
Mastixiaceae
  - Mastixiaceae
Mastixioid indet., Mastixiopsis nyssoides
Mastixioid indet. Collinson et al. 2012
Mastixiopsis nyssoides Kirchheimer 1936
Mastixia
  - Mastixiaceae
? Mastixia sp.
? Mastixia sp. von Blume 1826
Mastixiaceae
  - Mastixiaceae
Beckettia indet.
Beckettia indet. Reid and Chandler 1933
 Strisores - Archaeotrogonidae
Hassiavis laticauda2
Saportaspermum
  -
Saportaspermum kovacsiae
Saportaspermum kovacsiae Kvacek and Wilde 2010
1Mayr 2002; 2Mayr 2004; 3Peters 2007