Triops Longicaudatus
Triops Longicaudatus Red
Triops Longicaudatus
Triops Longicaudatus Red
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Palaeontology: Almost complete skull of the ratite Diatryma discovered in Geiselthal
Scientists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Senckenberg Research Institute and Nature Museum Frankfurt, together with French colleagues, have presented a spectacular find: an almost completely preserved skull of the ratite Diatryma, which lived around 45 million years ago in what is now the Geiseltal. This brings the Geiseltal in Saxony-Anhalt back into the focus of palaeontology. The find, which was published in the scientific journal Palaeontologia Electronica, is considered a sensation – there is only one other comparable fossil in the world, which is kept in the American Museum of Natural History in the USA.
Body height of about 1.40 metres
45 million years ago, the Geisel Valley was a lush, swampy area with a tropical climate. Numerous animal species were found here, including prehistoric horses, early tapirs, large land-living crocodiles and giant tortoises. The Geiseltal Collection at MLU, which comprises around 50,000 artefacts, offers a unique insight into this epoch and is protected as a national cultural asset. The skull of the 1.40 metre tall, flightless bird was discovered back in the 1950s during excavations in the former lignite mining area of the Geiseltal. Due to a fatal error, it was initially catalogued as a crocodile skull and remained unnoticed for decades in the Geiseltal collection at MLU. The true identity of the fossil was only recognised when it was re-examined by the taxidermist Michael Stache.
Diatryma was an imposing bird with a body height of around 1.40 metres and a massive beak. It was previously thought to be a carnivore that may have hunted small mammals such as prehistoric horses. However, more recent studies show that Diatryma was a herbivore whose powerful beak was probably used to crush hard plant material. Through careful restoration work, Stache was able to reassemble the skull from two separate fragments. The find was then examined by Dr Gerald Mayr, a leading expert on fossil birds at the Senckenberg Institute. His analysis confirmed that it was indeed the skull of a diatryma, a fascinating ratite that once roamed the marshy landscapes of the Eocene Geisel Valley.
Around 40 fossils of Diatryma have so far been documented in the Geiseltal collection, which indicates that this species was rather rare in the region. ‘If Diatryma had been more common here, we would certainly find more remains,’ explains Stache. The skull now presented is characterised by its exceptional state of preservation and its great scientific importance. The rediscovery and study of the skull emphasise the importance of the Geiseltal collection as a valuable archive of the history of the earth. The new study on Diatryma not only provides valuable insights into palaeoecology, but also makes it clear that the fossil finds in the Geisel Valley hold many more exciting discoveries in store.
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