Palaeontologists found what could be the “missing link” in human evolution.
They called this missing link Ida. According to the analysis done by paleontologist Jorn Hurum and his team, “Ida” is a 47-million-year-old fossil. She was unearthed in Germany’s Messel Pit. Ida is unique because it resembles a lemur. With its scientific name Darwinius masillae, Ida has physical attributes closely resembling those of a primate’s like opposable thumbs, grasping hands, clawless digits with nails, and short limbs.

Because of its characteristics, the palaeontologists who found Ida are ecstatic that this fossil is “the first link to humans”. And that it’s the “closes thing we can get to a direct ancestor,” a statement made by Hurum, of the Natural History Museum in Oslo, Norway. Further study of Ida could pinpoint the split between other primates and humans.

Ida is an excellent subject of study because it also has fur and soft tissue. The scientists were even able to determine some fragments of her last meal, which were fruits, seeds, and leaves.

This discovery is definitely exciting for those who believe in the theory of evolution.