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Taxonomy from Micklich 1987. Extended and corrected genus diagnosis by Micklich 1987, p. 55 (translated from German by oilshale): "High-backed Percoidei; scales ctenoid, in fine structure corresponding to type l of the classification scheme of MCCULLY (1961). Scaling extended to posterior portions of skull roof and cheek region, there increasingly cycloid; mandibles and lacrimals free. Head distinctly shorter than maximum body width; the latter usually 45%, in some cases exceeding 50% of standard length. Lateroethmoid with two palatinate articulations. Frontalia and parietalia smooth, without bony longitudinal or transverse cristae; frontal section of sensory canal system largely enclosed by bone, with a total of 5 pores. Supraoccipitals reaching between posterior ends of frontalia; supraoccipital crest relatively steeply ascending, with lateral longitudinal ridge [,,lateral ledge"]. Lacrimal large, smooth-margined, with sensory canal almost completely enclosed by bone; total of 4 sensory pores. Subocular supporting lamella [,,subocular shelf"] (probably) present. Palatines each with two separate neurocranial articular facets; underside uniformly and densely covered with fine, pointed denticles; ectopterygoids edentulous. Maxillary dentition like that of Palatina, without enlarged canines. Maxillary much longer than praemaxillary, caudally broadened and reaching posterior to orbital midline; supramaxillary present. Coronoid process of dentary pointed posteriorly. Large-sized specimens with intense surface sculptures on angular [angulo-articulare]; at least in these also completely closed ceratohyal foramen [,,berycoid foramen"]. Length/width ratio of urohyal decreasing with size growth. 6 Branchiostegalia. Posterior margin of praeoperculum increasingly coarsely toothed towards angle, but without strong horizontal spine; lower margin with three strong, reddish spines, these further subdivided especially in large animals. Operculum ending in two flattened spine processes. Pharyngeal bones and gill arches set with fine pointed teeth; these, however, not evenly spaced on gill arches, but subdivided into roundish individual groups [,,supralamellar toothplates"]. Dorsal fin continuous, with IX-X + 12 rays. Three spineless praedorsalia present, anteriormost in typical case situated anterior to spinous process of first trunk vertebra; remaining inserted between follower euracanths. First to third dorsal-fin spines with common fin-carrier, this with last praedorsal situated in same intervertebral space. Longest dorsal-fin spine shorter than lepidotrichia of soft-rayed section, this in turn reaching about halfway up pinna caudalis. Caudal fin rounded; 17 main rays (9/8), of which 15 are branched; base of uppermost marginal ray in ventrallobus with "procurrent spur". Caudal supporting skeleton with 3 (? 2) epuralia; urodermal [additional, second uroneural] absent. Analis with lll + 8-9 rays; first spine ray shortest, length ratios of other two partially varying. Pterygophores of all three anal-fin spines fused to form uniform hea maxanal complex fused, this axially in intense contact with processus spinosus ventralis of anteriormost praeural center. Length of anal soft fin rays consistent with those of D 2. Posttemporal, supracleithrum and cleithrum smooth-margined. Pectoral fins with ca. 15 soft rays extending beyond hemaxanal complex and 4 radialia; these either exclusively in contact with scapular or at most one also connected with the coracoid. Pectoral base slightly caudad offset from pelvic bones, processus medialis posterior [,,ischiac process"] long, reaching ca. 19-20 % of total pelvic length; pelvis with one spine and 5 jointed and branched soft rays. 27-28 (10-11 + 16-17) vertebrae; epipleuralia present in abdominal portion of vertebral column, hea mal canal already closed at last abdominal center." Identified by oilshale. References: Weitzel, K. (1933b): Amphiperca multiformis n. g. n. sp. und Thaumaturus intermedius n. sp., Knochenfische aus dem Mittel-Eozän von Messel. Notizblatt des Vereins für Erdkunde und der Hessischen Geologischen Landesanstalt zu Darmstadt, (5) 14: 89-97. Micklich, N. (1987) Neue Beiträge zur Morphologie, Ökologie und Systematik Messeler Knochenfische. Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg 91: 35-106.

References: Gaudant, J. Meunier, F.J. (2004) Un test pour déterminer la position systématique du genre Thaumaturus Reuss 1844 (poisson téléostéen): l'approche paléohistologique. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 252: 79-93. Weitzel, K. (1933b): Amphiperca multiformis n. g. n. sp. und Thaumaturus intermedius n. sp., Knochenfische aus dem Mittel-Eozän von Messel. Notizblatt des Vereins für Erdkunde und der Hessischen Geologischen Landesanstallt zu Darmstadt, (5) 14: 89-97. MICKLICH, N. (2012): An exceptional record of Thaumaturus intermedius WEITZEL, 1933 from Messel Pit. – Kaupia. Darmstadter Beitrage zur Naturkunde, 18: 11-17; Darmstadt.

References: J. Gaudant & N. Micklich (1990): Rhenanoperca minuta nov. gen., nov. sp., ein neuer Percoide (Pisces, Perciformes) aus der Messel-Formation (Mittel-Eozän, Unteres Geiseltalium). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 64(3):269-286. Fish eats fish: The diet of Rhenanoperca minuta mostly consisted of snails ("snailfish"), but not always!

Taxonomy from Micklich 1985. Emended diagnosis from Micklich p. 33 (translated from German by oilshale): "Percoidei with spindle-shaped elongated body; scales medium-sized, ctenoid, covering the entire skull including the exposed parts of the jaw elements covering (there increasingly cycloid). Maximum body width slightly more than 1/3 of standard length. Frontalia robust, with irregularly ridged surface; mandibles finely dentate in several rows. Maxillary short, reaching only orbital anterior margin; no supramaxillary. Lacrimals entire, praeoperculum with finely dentate posterior margin and smooth lower margin. Operculum posteriorly with two flattened spinous processes; 6 (7?) branchiostegalia. Two distinctly separated dorsal fins with VIII, I+ 8 -9 rays. Spines I and II with common fin support, hard rays IV-V longest. Caudal fin forked incised, with 17 main rays (9/8, of which 15 branched); uppermost marginal ray in lower caudallobus at base with so-called "procurrent spur" Caudal supporting skeleton acentric with 3 epuralia and one urodermal. Analis with III+ 6 -8 rays; spines I to III gradually increasing in length, with I and II together with anteriormost soft ray sharing a common fin support shared. Pectoral fins slightly caudad offset from pectoral fins, with 15 soft rays on 4 radial elements. Posttemporals and angles of cleithrum toothed on posterior margin. Ventral fins with one hard and 5 jointed soft rays; caudolateral margin of pelvic bones near spine insertion bulgingly reinforced, processus medialis posterior short. Almost always 23 (10 + 13) vertebrae; epipleuralia present. Presumed additional delimitation characters: Absence of praedorsalia; limited to scapula. Articulation of radialia on shoulder girdle." Line drawing from Micklich 1985, p. 56: Identified by oilshale. References: Micklich, N. (1978): Palaeoperca proxima, ein neuer Knochenfisch aus dem Mittel-Eozän von Messel bei Darmstadt. Senckenbergiana lethaea, 59 (4/6), 483-501. Micklich, N. (1985): Biologisch-paläontologische Untersuchungen zur Fischfauna der Messeier Ölschiefer (Mittel-Eozän, Lutetium). Andrias, 4: 171.

Prepped by transfer method (Toombs, Harry; A.E. Rixon (1950). "The use of plastics in the "transfer method" of preparing fossils". The museums journal. 50: 105–107.) Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon with partly preserved wing membrane and fur. As far as I know, four bat genera with a total of 8 species are known from Messel: Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon and P. spiegeli, Archaeonycteris trigonodon and A. pollex, Trachypteron franzeni, Hassianycteris messelense, H. magna and Hassianycteris? revilliodi. The genus Palaeochiropteryx is the most common and smallest bat from Messel with a wingspan of around 26 to 29cm. Archaeonycteris is rarer and somewhat larger - the wingspan is about 37cm. The largest bat in Messel is Hassianycteris magna with a wingspan of almost 50cm. Diagnosis from Russel & Sigé 1969, p. 124 (translated from French by oilshale): Diagnosis: size smaller than Palaeochiropteryx spiegeli. P3 relatively longer and narrower; protocortid high and acute; tubercles of lower molars higher and more acute; trigonid of M1 more compressed anteroposteriorly; talonid of M3 wider and higher relative to trigonid. Upper canine relatively taller, narrower and more pointed posteriorly at its base; heel of P³ narrower lingually, with its posterior margin oblique anterolingually; on M'-M², notch between mesostyle and parastyle deeper. Identified by Dr G. Storch, Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt a. M. Germany. References: Revilliod, P. (1917): Fledermäuse aus der Braunkohle von Messel bei Darmstadt. Abhandlungen der Großherzoglichen Hessischen Geologischen Landesanstalt zu Darmstadt, 7 (2), 162-201. Richter, G. & Storch, G. (1980): Beiträge zur Ernährungsbiologie eozäner Fledermäuse aus der "Grube Messel". Natur und Museum, 110 (12), p. 353-367. Russell, D. E. & Sigé, B. (1969) REVISION DES CHIROPTÈRES LUTÊTIENS DE MESSEL (HESSE, ALLEMAGNE). Palæovertebrata, Montpellier, 3 : 83-182, 29 fig., 6 pl. Simmons, N.B. & Geisler, J.H.(1998): Phylogenetic relationships of Icaronycteris, Archaeonycteris, Hassianycteris and Palaeochiropteryx to extant bat lineages, with comments on the Evolution of echolocation and foraging strategies in Microchiroptera. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 235: 1-182.

Palaeopython sp. together with a coprolite (containing several small fish vertebrae)

Synonym: Anosteira gracilis Harrassowitz 1922. Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org. Identified by Prof. Walter Joyce, Department of Geosciences, Université de Fribourg. References: Harrassowitz, H.L.F. (1922): Die Schildkrötengattung Anosteira von Messel bei Darmstadt und ihre stammesgeschichtliche Bedeutung. Abhandlungen der Hessischen Geologischen Landesanstalt zu Darmstadt, 6 (3): 138-238. Joyce, W. G. (2014) A Review of the Fossil Record of Turtles of the Clade Pan-Carettochelys. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 55(1):3-33.

Prepped by transfer method. Mr. G. Mayr from Senckenberg Institute was so kind to determine the family: It's a Messelirrisor sp., a relative of the Hoopoe. with preserved plumage (can be best seen with backlight) Picture taken by Dûrzan cîrano, distributed by Wikimedia under GNU Free Documentation License Lit.: Mayr, G. (2000): Tiny hoopoe-like birds from the Middle Eocene of Messel (Germany). The Auk 117(4):964-970

Prepped by transfer method. For about 30 years, I wasn't sure whether this juvenile crocodile was Diplocynodon darwini or Allognathosuchus haupti. Dr. Alex Hastings from the Virginia Museum of Natural History was so kind to determine it: "It looks to me like a young Diplocynodon darwini. I say D. darwini instead of D. deponiae mostly because of the general lack of osteoderms on the tail and legs. Allognathosuchus has more of a round snout/head, and even at this size would look more mature. The fenestrae at the back of the skull are still fairly oblong and the eyes are overly large, indicating a pretty young individual, maybe a year or two old. It looks a lot like several of the young D. darwini we had from Geiseltal, which overlaps in age and environment with Messel." References: Ludwig, R. (1877) Fossile Crocodiliden aus der Tertiärformation des Mainzer Beckens. Palaeontographica, Supplement 4 (5), 1-52. Rossmann, T. & Blume, M. (1999): Die Krokodilfauna der Grube Messel, Natur und Museum, Vol 129, p. 261-270. Hastings, A.K. and M. Hellmund (2015): Rare in situ preservation of adult crocodylian with eggs from the Middle Eocene of Geiseltal, Germany. Palaios, 30(6):446–461. Rio, J. P., Mannion, P. D. Tschopp, E., Martin, J. E., and Delfino. M. (2020) Reappraisal of the morphology and phylogenetic relationships of the alligatoroid crocodylian Diplocynodon hantoniensis from the late Eocene of the United Kingdom. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 188:579-629.

Synonym: Anosteira gracilis Harrassowitz 1922. Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org. Identified by Prof. Walter Joyce, Department of Geosciences, Université de Fribourg. References: Harrassowitz, H.L.F. (1922): Die Schildkrötengattung Anosteira von Messel bei Darmstadt und ihre stammesgeschichtliche Bedeutung. Abhandlungen der Hessischen Geologischen Landesanstalt zu Darmstadt, 6 (3): 138-238. Joyce, W. G. (2014) A Review of the Fossil Record of Turtles of the Clade Pan-Carettochelys. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 55(1):3-33.