Episode 160 - The Messel Pit

Published: March 5, 2023, 4 a.m.

b'Once, it was a volcanic crater. Then, it was a lake, perhaps equal parts lush and deadly. Much later, it was a mining site. And finally, today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most famous and heavily studied fossil sites in the world. In this episode, we discuss the history and formation of the Messel Pit, and we ooh and aah over a small sampling of the many thousands of incredible fossils that have been found there.\\nIn the news: lacewing larvae, folding leaves, dinosaur growth, and ankylosaur sounds.\\nTime markers:Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00News: 00:06:00Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:00Main discussion, Part 2: 01:00:00Patron question: 01:40:30\\nCheck out our blog for bonus info and pictures:http://commondescentpodcast.com/\\nJoin us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast\\nFollow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent\\nOr make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp\\nFind merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent\\nJoin the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev\\nFollow and Support us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPCFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcastInstagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduwPodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2\\nYou can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.comOr send us physical mail at:The Common Descent Podcast1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165Johnson City, TN 37604\\nThe Intro and Outro music is \\u201cOn the Origin of Species\\u201d by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.\\nMusical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/'