Facts about Ida, Subject of History Channel's The Link

The recent discovery of a primate fossil that could be the earliest transitional species in human evolution may be a revolutionary find. Named "Ida," the specimen is 47 million years old, which is 20 times older than most other remains found so far. History^R explains that Ida displays, "....characteristics from the very primitive non-human evolutionary line (prosimians, such as lemurs), but she is more related to the human evolutionary line (anthropoids, such as monkeys, apes and humans). This places Ida at the very root of anthropoid evolution — when primates were first developing the features that would evolve into our own." The findings were published by PLoS One, the source journal of the Public Library of Science.

The History Channel^R will air "The Link" on Monday, May 25, 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT. Thanks to Ally Bank, the television special will air with limited commercial interruptions. The documentary is produced by Atlantic Productions.

The fossil is nearly 95% complete. Scientists have been conducting secret forensic analyses for almost two years. "This specimen is like finding the lost ark for archaeologists," said Dr. Jørn Hurum of the University of Oslo Natural History Museum. "This fossil will probably be the one that will be pictured in all textbooks for the next 100 years."

Ida is a European fossil, which immediately sets it apart from other primate fossils, such as Lucy, found in Africa's Cradle of Mankind. The recent find was discovered in Germany's Messel Pit, a mile-wide crater featuring oil-rich shale that has become "...a significant site for fossils of the Eocene period."

The fossil's opposable bit toes with nails in place of claws confirmed that Ida was a primate. She is about three-feet long with a soft body. Her age at death is estimated to be nine months. The fossil is so complete that her last meal is preserved - fruits, seeds, and leaves. X-rays show both baby and adult teeth, but a lack of a toothcomb or toilet claw, which are found in lemurs. What links Ida to humans is ankle! Although smaller in size, the talus bone is the same shape as ours.

While attending a fossil fair in Hamburg, Germany, Dr. Hurum heard about a unique fossil. He arranged a private meeting with the fossil dealer. After viewing the fossil and confirming its authenticity, Hurum was able to raise the funds to purchase it for the University of Oslo Natural History Museum. He then carefully selected a "dream team" of experts to "...decode the fossil." Among the scientists working on the project are:

"1. Dr. Holly Smith, top U.S. dental anthropologist, University of Michigan: 'In terms of a complete skeleton, it's hard to think of anything else in primate evolution that's as complete as this fossil. It's certainly the most beautiful fossil primate I've ever seen.'

"2. Dr. Jens Franzen, German fossil and Messel Pit expert, Senckenberg Research Institute: 'This is by far the most complete fossil primate ever found in the world. When the results of our investigations are published this will be just like an asteroid hitting the earth.'

"3. Prof. Philip Gingerich, leading U.S. primate specialist, University of Michigan: 'It's really a kind of Rosetta Stone because it ties together parts we haven’t been able to associate before.'

"4. Dr Jörg Habersetzer, German fossil expert and radiologist, Senckenberg Research Institute: 'This fossil rewrites our understanding of the evolution of primates.'"

If you would like to see Ida in person, a cast of the fossil is on display in the Extreme Mammals exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.