Where: Hessen, Germany (49.9° N, 8.8° E: paleocoordinates 46.9° N, 4.8° E)
• coordinate based on nearby landmark
• small collection-level geographic resolution
When: Messel Formation, MP 11 (48.6 - 40.4 Ma)
• "lower Middle Eocene, lower-most Geiseltalian, Mammal Paleogene level 11… .575 to .77 m above local stratigraphic marker Alpha."
• bed-level stratigraphic resolution
Environment/lithology: crater lake; lithified claystone
Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils
Preservation: adpression, soft parts
Reposited in the SMF
Collection methods: quarrying, surface (in situ),
Primary reference: R. Stritzke. 1983. Saniwa feisti n. sp., ein Varanide (Lacertilia, Reptilia) aus dem Mittel-Eozän von Messel bei Darmstadt. Senckenbergiana Lethaea 64(5/6):497-508 [G. Lloyd/G. Lloyd]more details
Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis
PaleoDB collection 120798: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Jered Karr on 21.11.2011, edited by Matthew Carrano, Matthew Clapham and Jenna Sandlin
Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)
Taxonomic list
unclassified | |
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Insecta | |
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"Anthophoridae indet." = Anthophorini14, Electrapis sp.33, "Protobombus messelensis n. sp." = Protobombus (Protobombus) messelensis32
"Protobombus messelensis n. sp." = Protobombus (Protobombus) messelensis32 Wappler and Engel 2003 bee SMF MeI 6388
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Formicidae indet.14, "Formicium giganteum n. sp." = Titanomyrma gigantea13, "Formicium simillimum n. sp." = Titanomyrma simillima13, Casaleia eocenica n. sp.7, Pseudectatomma striatula n. sp.7, Pseudectatomma eocenica n. gen. n. sp.7, Archimyrmex wedmannae n. sp.4, Formicinae indet.14, Oecophylla longiceps n. sp.5, Gesomyrmex pulcher n. sp.6, Gesomyrmex breviceps n. sp.6, "Gesomyrmex curiosus n. sp." = Gesomyrmex hoernesi6, Camponotus sp.12, Ponerinae indet.7, Messelepone leptogenoides n. gen. n. sp.7, Pachycondyla petrosa n. sp.7, Pachycondyla lutzi n. sp.7, Pachycondyla petiolosa n. sp.7, Pachycondyla eocenica n. sp.7, ? Pachycondyla messeliana n. sp.7, "Pachycondyla minuta n. sp." = Pachycondyla parvula7, Protopone magna n. sp.7, Protopone sepulta n. sp.7, ? Protopone dubia n. sp.7, Protopone oculata n. sp.7, Protopone germanica n. sp.7, Protopone vetula n. sp.7, Cyrtopone elongata n. sp.7, Cyrtopone striata n. sp.7, Cyrtopone curiosa n. sp.7, Cyrtopone microcephala n. gen. n. sp.7, Cephalopone grandis n. sp.7, Cephalopone potens n. gen. n. sp.7, Dolichoderinae indet.14, Myrmicinae indet.14
Formicidae indet.14 Latreille 1802 ant SMF MeI 192, 1165, 57, 196, 198, 202, 549, 953, 1117, 113, 161, 428, 514, 515, 547, 599, 768, 1039, 1094, 1208
"Formicium simillimum n. sp." = Titanomyrma simillima13 Lutz 1986 ant 26 in Lutz 1986; SMF MeI 1548a-c in Lutz 1990
Formicinae indet.14 Latreille 1802 ant SMF MeI 56, 122a-c, 468, 890, 923, 1204, 17, 314, 317, 320, 512, 561, 603, 654, 803, 812, 814, 909, 962, 963, 1108
Ponerinae indet.7 Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau 1835 ant FIS MeI 202, 662, 7055, 7222, 7369, 7751, 7758, 8298, 8551, 10805, 11007, 12307, 12377, 12628, 12641, 13220, 13339, 13585, 13802
Pachycondyla lutzi n. sp.7 Dlussky and Wedmann 2012 ant FIS MeI 11958, 11481, 1361, 3553, 2078, 10526, 11679, 10564, 12975, 13507
"Pachycondyla minuta n. sp." = Pachycondyla parvula7 Dlussky et al. 2015 ant FIS MeI 10638, 10167, 12250, 10093, 13789, 14219
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Lampriminae indet.14 MacLeay 1819 stag beetle SMF MeI 3, 75, 177, 199, 313, 458, 520, 745, 811, 1072, 1131, 1174, 1549
Protognathinus spielbergi n. gen. n. sp.3 Chalumeau and Brochier 2001 stag beetle Specimen illustrated in Feb. 2000 National Geographic magazine
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Hydrophilina indet.8, Hydrophilus sp.8, Hydrobiomorpha "sp. 1"8, Hydrobiomorpha eopalpalis8, Hydrochara sp.8
Hydrophilus sp.8 Geoffroy 1762 water scavenger beetle SMF MeI 806, 1524, 4648, 8936, 11127, 11804, 14052
Hydrobiomorpha eopalpalis8 Fikáček et al. 2010 water scavenger beetle SMF MeI 459, 3893, 3923, 4204, 4272, 4445, 5040, 5577, 7331, 8590, 8801, 8944, 10662, 12304, 14099, 14101, 14614
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Eubrianacinae "indet. 1"34 Jacobson 1913 water penny beetle "range from 5 m below to 5 m above marker alpha"
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Wedelphus dichopteroides n. gen. n. sp.30
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Pseudostenolestes bechlyi n. gen. n. sp.10
Pseudostenolestes bechlyi n. gen. n. sp.10 Garrouste and Nel 2015 dragonfly SMF MeI 14781, 13209, 14712, 14794
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"Aeschnidae indet." = Aeshnidae14
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Petrolestes messelensis n. sp.10
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Reptilia | |
Testudinoidea indet.11, "Ocadia kehreri n. sp." = Euroemys kehreri11, "Ocadia messeliana" = Francellia messeliana11
Testudinoidea indet.11 Gray 1825 turtle Fragments labelled SMF-Me-R109 (but not including the type) listed by Staesche 1928 under Ocadia kehreri
"Ocadia kehreri n. sp." = Euroemys kehreri11 Staesche 1928 turtle Type SMF-Me-R109 (in part). Additional material coll. SMF-Me : 172, 1557a, 202, 717a, 1457, 1458a, 2764, 1564, 1679, 1782 (Pl. 3, Figs. D et E), 1340 (Schaal et Ziegler, 1988 : Figs. 160 et 161) (Pl. 3, Figs.A et B), 1797, 1807, 2100, 2761, 2767, 3002
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"Baryphracta deponiae n. gen. n. sp." = Diplocynodon deponiae9
"Baryphracta deponiae n. gen. n. sp." = Diplocynodon deponiae9 Frey et al. 1987 crocodilian SMF ME 899 (skeleton exposed in left lateral and ventral views); referred specimens: SMF ME 1114 (exposing the left lateral and ventral sides); SMF ME 1348 (juvenile, exposing the left lateral and ventral sides) and SMF ME 2609 (exposing the dorsal side)
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Aves | |
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Perplexicervix microcephalon n. gen. n. sp.23
Perplexicervix microcephalon n. gen. n. sp.23 Mayr 2010 bird from "Messel": type in the SMF collection
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Protocypselomorphus manfredkelleri n. gen. n. sp.22
Protocypselomorphus manfredkelleri n. gen. n. sp.22 Mayr 2005 bird from "Messel": type in the SMF collection
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Primobucco frugilegus n. sp.25
Primobucco frugilegus n. sp.25 Mayr and Mourer-Chauviré 2004 bird from "Messel": type in the SMF collection
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? Primotrogon pumilio n. sp.19
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Eurofluvioviridavis robustipes n. gen. n. sp.21
Eurofluvioviridavis robustipes n. gen. n. sp.21 Mayr 2005 bird from "Messel": skull in the SMF collection
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Plesiocathartes kelleri n. sp.18
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Pumiliornis tessellatus n. gen. n. sp.16
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Reptilia | |
Ornatocephalus metzleri n. gen. n. sp.1
Ornatocephalus metzleri n. gen. n. sp.1 Weber 2004 squamates SMF ME 3516 (holotype), articulated specimen
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"Saniwa feisti n. sp." = Paranecrosaurus feisti
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Messelopython freyi n. gen. n. sp.35 Zaher and Smith 2020 snake Holotype: SMNK-PAL 461, nearly complete skeleton with partial skull; SMF-ME 710, nearly complete skeleton with a badly crushed skull; SMF-ME 2784, a nearly complete skeleton with a skull; HLMD-Be 165, a nearly complete skeleton with a partial skull
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"Messelophis ermannorum n. sp." = Rieppelophis ermannorum28 Schaal and Baszio 2004 snake see Schaal and Baszio 2004. SMF ME 1812 (holotype), five trunk vertebrae
Messelophis variatus n. gen. n. sp.27 Baszio 2004 boa see Baszio 2004. SMF ME 1828a, 1828b, articulated nearly complete skeleton and ME 1828c (holotype of three parts), four isolated vertebrae
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Stefanikia siderea n. gen. n. sp.2
Stefanikia siderea n. gen. n. sp.2 Čerňanský and Smith 2017 squamates Holotype: SMF ME 11241, a nearly complete skeleton, lacking only the distal portion of the tail.
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Sagrinae | |
Sagrinae indet.14 Leach 1815 frog-legged beetle SMF MeI 31, 153, 218, 259, 302, 388, 519, 551, 715, 731, 823, 827, 828, 843, 851, 884, 955, 959, 966, 1018, 1080, 1085, 1113, 1162, 1194
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Paraprefica kelleri n. gen. n. sp.15
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