The Ida fossil is the the most iconic and valuable object exhibited at the Natural History Museum of Oslo. She was first presented to the world in 2009.
Ida fascinates us in several ways
- The dramatic story about the unfortunate little girl, still with her milk teeth, who had a broken wrist, was poisoned, fell in the water, and drowned.
- The superb state of preservation of the fossil.
- What the fossil can tell us about the evolutionary history of mankind.
- The secrecy surrounding the fossil from the time it was found in 1983 until it became publicly known.
- The meticulously planned launch, with a book, a made-for-TV documentary, a website, huge press conferences and correspondingly great media coverage.
- The ensuing debate around the popularization of science.