Have any questions?
+44 1234 567 890
How a Small Primate Became a Scientific Sensation
IDA the Lemur
Every fossil enthusiast knows the ancient bird Archaeopteryx or the Tyrannosaurus Rex named Sue. On May 19, 2009, another superstar of paleontology joined this prominent circle… the lemur IDA.
47 million years ago, IDA lived in the Messel Pit near what is now Darmstadt, Germany. IDA's hand was broken as she tried to drink from a lake. Toxic gases from the depths rendered her unconscious. She fell into the water, sank to the bottom of the lake, and fossilized. Today we know that the shape of IDA's ankle joint indicates a connection to both apes and humans. Even IDA's last meal is preserved.
IDA was discovered in 1983 in the Messel Pit, which was supposed to become a landfill. Her discoverer preserved her, and IDA hung unnoticed like a Picasso on his wall for 23 years. In 2006, IDA came into the hands of Dr. Thomas Perner, a renowned fossil dealer from Bad Homburg.
"I knew that Dr. Thomas Perner had a world sensation in his hands," said Hurum later.
Under utmost secrecy, IDA was examined by Hurum and two other German scientists. IDA was introduced to the world at the most media-savvy place, the Big Apple in New York, with New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg in attendance.
-
Dr. Jörn Hurum and Michael Perner after the handover of IDA to the Natural History Museum in Oslo -
Dr. Jörn Hurum and Michael Perner with IDA (background) at the Natural History Museum in Oslo. -
Dr. Jörn Hurum speaks next to a slide of Ida at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as the fossil was unveiled. -
Dr. Hurum, together with the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, presents the IDA fossil to the public at the New York Museum of Natural History on May 18, 2009.
Copyright © FOSSGA