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Zeit und Messel Welten / Grube Messel
Zeit und Messel Welten / Grube Messel
64409 Messel
Daily, including public holidays: 10 am – 5 pm
For public guided tours, see www.grube-messel.de
The fossil deposit Grube Messel was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage in 1995 as the first German natural monument. It provides an insight into the early evolution of mammals and documents the history of Earth's evolution 48 million years ago, when explosive changes in the flora and fauna took place after the end of the dinosaur age. Tens of thousands of fossils from the Eocene have been recovered in the Maarvulkan Lake so far, and every year new finds are added. In addition to the high quantity and variety of animal and plant fossils, the unique preservation of full-body skeletons, skin and fur shadows, feathers and stomach contents is striking.