[cogitator]

A brief history of the Messinian on Sicily

Another neat Web site -- I'm going to have to watch this one:

Messinian online

Regarding the discovery, it was Ryan. Read the abstract to this one (main guy was Kenneth Hsu):

STABLE ISOTOPE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE MIOCENE EVAPORITES AND PLIOCENE AND PLEISTOCENE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS AND OOZES (PDF!!)

One more, this is really a great summary.

Profiles in Catastrophism: The Desertification and Deluge of the Mediterranean Basin

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks cogitator for all five of those links.