Meet 'Ida': Our 47 Million Year Old Ancestor

Explore the discovery of a 47 million year old human ancestor, Ida, offering insights into Eocene primate paleobiology.

Today an international team of scientists announced the discovery of a 47 million year old human ancestor found in the Messel Pit, Germany. The European fossil is 95% complete, providing the most comprehensive understanding of the paleobiology of any Eocene primate yet. Named 'Ida,' she was a young female with opposable big toes and a talus bone linking her directly to humans. Read the full article available free at PLoS ONE...

Sheril Kirshenbaum
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Meet 'Ida': Our 47 Million Year Old Ancestor

Explore the discovery of a 47 million year old human ancestor, Ida, offering insights into Eocene primate paleobiology.

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Sheril Kirshenbaum

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The Great Barrier Reef Experiences Largest Annual Decline in Nearly 40 Years

Slingshot Tongues of Chameleons and Salamanders Could Transform Tech in Medicine and Space

At Almost 500 Feet Below the Water, Experts Heard the Sounds of the Elusive Beaked Whale

Sharks Began Roaming the Oceans 400 Million Years Ago as Deep-Sea Bottom-Dwellers

This Adorable Bumpy Snailfish Is One of Three New Species Discovered in the Deep-Sea

Fossils of Extinct Coelacanths Faced a Case of Mistaken Identity for Over a Century

Ghost Sharks Grow Retractable Teeth Out of Their Forehead – Not to Eat, But to Mate

Rodents' Oddly Humanlike Thumbnails Have Let Them Feast on Nuts Since Ancient Times

New Species Identified On Antarctic Seafloor that was Once Covered By a Massive Ice Sheet

Rainbow Shrimp Vision Is the Most Powerful of Any Animal on Earth, But We Don’t Know Why

Are Animals Like Mountain Lions and Bears Leaving Yellowstone National Park?

The Evolution of this Eyeless Fish Helps us Pinpoint When Caves Started to Form

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

SubscribeTo The Magazine