Darwinius [SEP] named after
counterslab after the amateur excavation and sold separately, was not reassembled until 2007. The fossil is of a juvenile female, approximately overall length, with the head and body length excluding the tail being about . It is estimated that Ida died at about 80–85% of her projected adult body and limb length.
The genus "Darwinius" was named in commemoration of the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and the species name "masillae" honors Messel where the specimen was found. The creature appeared superficially similar to a
of a primitive primate, "Darwinius masillae", that had been in the private collection of an amateur fossil collector for 25 years.
Hurum named the specimen "Ida", after his daughter.
Controversy.
Some experts in the scientific community were critical of the 2009 media campaign Hurum orchestrated to publicize his find "Darwinius masillae". Matt Cartmill, an anthropologist from Duke University, said "The P.R. campaign on this fossil is I think more of a story than the fossil itself". Hurum's reputation