MESSEL - Ein fossiles Tropenökosystem

Messel - A Fossilised Tropical Ecosystem is an exquisitely illustrated documentation by 28 internationally renowned specialists who have summarised the current state of science on the climate and structure of the Eocene ecosystem of the Messel Pit. The information comes from the examination of rocks, fossilised plants and animals from the Messel Pit. The Messel Pit is a Tertiary maar lake that once lay in an archipelago of islands of Eocene Europe, now near Frankfurt. An English language version of this title is also available. The exceptionally good state of preservation of the fossil finds from Messel has allowed scientists (in many cases for the first time) to recognise and describe the smallest functional details of the plants and animals of the approx. 48 million year old Messel ecosystem: including plants, insects, mammals (horses!), reptiles, amphibians and fish. Introductory chapters deal with Messel, its formation as a maar lake, the conditions of embedding and preservation of the fossils and the history of discovery and exploration since the first fossil was discovered in 1876. Seven subsequent chapters deal with the Messel flora and individual animal groups in great detail, illustrated with excellent photographs, and describe palaeontological and developmental biological details of the Messel fossils and compare them with fossils from other fossil localities. The concluding chapter (13) presents a summarised description of the conditions (climate, environment, biota, producers and consumers, occupation of ecological spaces, ecological niches) of the terrestrial and aquatic Messel ecosystem that could be derived from the study of the Messel specimens. The unique, comprehensive account of Messel makes this book virtually the standard reference on the topic of Messel for scientists, while the informative illustrations of flora and fauna will also delight fossil enthusiasts and other interested parties.