Ida - A Primate in Transition

Scientists think that the split between the primates that became anthropoids and the lower primates occurred over 40 million years ago.  Ida, who was discovered in the fossil-rich region of Messel in Germany, could be just that - a primate in transition, one of those primates who gave rise to our own ancestors.  This is why her discovery is so important.  The recovered skeleton is complete, which is also a rare occurrence and should prove to be a wealth of information for paleontologists.

Below are links to an article published in time.com (the layman version) and the original paper published in PLoS One (for those of you who want all the details).

Ida: Humankind's Earliest Ancestor!  (time.com)

 

Complete Primate Skeleton from the Middle Eocene of Messel (PLoS One)