The exceptionally preserved skeleton of Darwinius, known popularly as “Ida.” From PLoS One.

Almost ten months ago an international team of researchers introduced the world to an exquisitely-preserved primate from the 47 million year old oil shales of Messel, Germany. Dubbed Darwinius masillae, and nicknamed “Ida” and “The Link”, the fossil was touted as one of our earliest primate ancestors in a massive media campaign worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. Yet the trouble was that there was no solid evidence that Darwinius was one of our ancestorsthere was no solid evidence that Darwinius was one of our ancestorsthere was no solid evidence that Darwinius was one of our ancestors. Despite the marketing blitz