3D model of a Primeval Dwarf Horse (NHMW-GEO-1993/0035/0001)

<p>3D scan of a primeval dwarf horse (<em>Eurohippus messelensis</em>) fossil from Messel, which is todays Darmstadt, Germany. Fossils from this area are extraordinarily good preserved. That is because 47 million years ago there was a tropical forest around Lake Messel, and on its floor the oxygen-deprived environment prevented decomposition of the corpses that sunk into the lake.</p><p>This fossil was found in the Messel Pit, an old quarry southeast of
Frankfurt am Main. An abundance of fossils has been found in the pit
and it was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995 as a result.
Fossils from this area are extraordinarily good preserved, because 47
million years ago there was a tropical forest around Lake Messel: its
floor offers an oxygen-deprived environment that prevents decomposition
of the corpses that sunk into the lake.&nbsp;Fossils from <em>Eurohippus</em> tell us plenty about the evolution of
horses. These Eocene dwarf horses were comparable of size with fox
terrier. They lived in a flock in the tropical forests where they mainly
stayed in the thick undergrowth. Here they searched for leaves and
fruit.&nbsp;Instead of hooves, they had four toes on their front legs and three on their rear legs.&nbsp;Extinct predecessors, like the <em>Eurohippus</em> were small forest
dweller, that lived on fruits and leaves compared to the modern a
long-legged grass-eating horses which natural habitat are steppes.</p>