Tropical forests in Europe

Knightiophyllum wilcoxyanum

No close relatives of the tree, Knightiophyllum wilcoxyanum, remain today. Since the leaves resemble those of some Proteaceae species, it was long believed that this tree belonged to that family, which today is almost entirely limited to the Southern Hemisphere.

Fagopsis longifolia

This leaf is from an extinct tree species of the beech family. Large forests of such trees grew along the rivers in the Rocky Mountains.

The fruit, as shown in the illustration, did not look anything like the fruit of present-day trees of the beech family.

“Ficus” puryearensis

In common with many similar leaves, specimens of this leaf have been found in Europe and the eastern United States. Scientists have not been able to determine which tree species it is from.

Leaves that look like this have usually been found on trees that grow in tropical and subtropical damp forests. That indicates that both the United States and Europe had warm, damp climates around 50 million years ago.

Cinnamomum

The leaf veins of Cinnamomums are branched like the prongs of dinner forks. The cinnamon tree, another Cinnamomum species, has similar leaf veins. Both this extinct species and the cinnamon tree belong to the laurel family.

Fossil discoveries indicate that, during the Palaeogene and Neogene, the forests of western Eurasia were similar to the laurel forests on the Canary Islands today.

Most laurel species today grow in South America and Southeast Asia, but cinnamon species are native to Australia and several regions of Asia proper. The avocado tree, however, grows in Mexico and Central America. True laurel, the source of bay leaves for cooking, grows in the Mediterranean region.

Cedrelospermum lineatum

This leaf is from an extinct species of elm, Cedrelospermum lineatum.

Around 30 million years ago, forests of Cedrelospermum lineatum and Fagopsis grew along rivers in the Rocky Mountains. They disappeared from the United States around 25 million years ago, but Cedrelospermum continued to grow in Europe until around six million years ago.

Cedrelospermum lineatum

This leaf is from an extinct species of elm, Cedrelospermum lineatum.

Around 30 million years ago, forests of Cedrelospermum lineatum and Fagopsis grew along rivers in the Rocky Mountains. They disappeared from the United States around 25 million years ago, but Cedrelospermum continued to grow in Europe until around six million years ago.

Engelhardia macroptera

This winged fruit is from an extinct species of the walnut family. It died out around 20 million years ago.

Ailanthus confucii

This fossil contains a winged fruit with a seed at the centre.

The tree, Alianthus confucii, grew in much of the Northern Hemisphere during the Palaeogene and Neogene periods. An interesting fact is that all existing species of Alianthus grow in the tropics, including those in western China, South Korea and northern Australia.

The fossil record indicates that the genus originated in temperate regions, then spread to the tropics during the Neogene. Alianthus disappeared from Europe during the Neogene.  It is commonly cultivated in parts of Europe.

Macrocranion

Macrocranion was a quick and agile insect-eater that lived in the forests of Europe and North America during the Palaeogene Period. One of the two Macrocranion species that scientists have found at Messel had a spiny coat similar to that of modern hedgehogs. Ants have been found in its stomach, but also small fish which indicates that this little mammal had a varied diet.

This perfectly preserved skeleton is typical of the Messel site; many well-preserved fossils have been found there

Palaeochiropteryx

This bat is an especially fine example of a fossil from Messel, an uniquely rich source of well-preserved fossils. The bats found at Messel are among the oldest known bats, yet they look very modern.

The stomach contents of this bat include moths, which indicates that bats were already using echolocation 48 million years ago.

Wing proportions differed between species. On bats that flew rapidly over the tree canopy, the wings were long and narrow. Bats that flew low over the forest floor had short, broad wings like those on this fossil of the little Palaeochiropteryx.

Megacerops

This lower jaw is from a Megacerops, a gigantic odd-toed ungulate that lived in Asia and North America. Even though it was larger than any present-day rhinoceros, Megacerops lived in dense forest and fed on plants, mainly leaves.

On the snout of Megacerops, which means “large horned face”, was a large blunt horn that was probably covered with skin. It is related to modern horses.

Palaeotherium medium

Palaeotheres were early horse species that lived in Europe during the Palaeogene Period. They had relatively short legs, with four hooves on the front legs and three on the rear legs. They resembled modern tapirs and were first described by scientists as relatives of tapirs.

Palaeothere species varied in size, from as small as foxes to as large as the horses of today. This fossil is of Palaeotheriummedium which, as the name indicates, was of medium size. It lived in swampy tropical forests, feeding on leaves and other soft plant matter. Palaeotheres died out more than 28 million years ago and were succeeded by three-toed horses during the Neogene Period. You can see fossils of them in the adjacent display case.

You can learn more about the evolution of horses in “The Human Journey” exhibition.

Diplobune medium

Diplobune was a large two-toed plant-eater that was only found in Europe. It lived in warm damp forests during the Palaeogene Period.

Diplobune belongs to the sister group of Cainotherium and — just like the representative of that group in the same display case — is related to modern camels.

Nimravus intermedius

Nimravus was a quite slender meat-eater, about the same size as a modern lynx. It probably hunted birds and smaller mammals in the tropical forests of Europe.

Nimravus is a “false” sabre-toothed cat because it does not belong to the same family as all present-day cats, including the genuine but extinct sabre-toothed cats.

Adapis magnus

Adapis was an early monkey genus that lived in the forests of Europe and North America during the middle of the Palaeogene Period.

The adapid family is closely related to the strepsirrhine primates which includes lemurs, lorises and galagos. Fossils of primates are rare because they lived in habitats where conditions were not favourable for the preservation of fossils.

Cainotherium commune

Cainotherium commune was a two-toed ungulate (hoofed animal) that was roughly the same size as a present-day rabbit.

Its pattern of movement, body shape, jaw and plant diet were also similar to a rabbit’s. These small ungulates lived only in Europe and were common in damp, dense forests during the Palaeogene and early Neogene Period.

Cainotheres species are probably related to modern camels. 

Diplobune medium

Diplobune was a large two-toed plant-eater that was only found in Europe. It lived in warm damp forests during the Palaeogene Period.

Diplobune belongs to the sister group of Cainotherium and — just like the representative of that group in the same display case — is related to modern camels.