Messel Pit fossils show mammals' early evolution

Messel Pit Fossil Site holds fossils 47 million years old.

Messel Pit lies in Hesse, Germany and covers 42 hectares.

Messel Pit formed from a lake that existed in the Eocene.

The site preserves fossils exceptionally well in oil shale layers.

More than 1000 species of plants and animals are found there.

Fossils show preserved skin, hair, feathers, and stomach contents.

Fossils reveal early evolution steps of mammals, birds, and insects.

Mining began discovery but stopped in the late 1960s.

Nine pairs of fossil turtles were found fossilized in copulation.

Turtles sank into toxic lake layers caused by volcanic gases.

Female turtles were slightly larger than males in these fossils.

Government now protects Messel Pit as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Messel Pit fossils show mammals becoming dominant in old ecosystems.

Oil shale fossils 47 million years old reveal mammals' early evolution.