Temporary Exhibitions & Events

Squids, devil’s fingers, and tentacles – the fascinating world of cephalopods

Present-day cephalopods, such as octopods and squids, are characterized by a crown of tentacles on the head, as their Greek name implies. Weiter lesen

Unsolved cases of paleobotany

Many plants from prehistoric times have survived as fossils. One would think that the better the fossils are preserved, the more we can say about these plants. However, it is not always that simple. Even if the fossil remains are frequently found and excellently preserved, the morphology and systematic affinity of some ancient plants remain unclear, making them a cold case of paleobotany. This is often because only certain parts of the plant (e.g. leaves, stems) are found, and without the rest you simply can’t get any further. Sometimes, however, the fossils have characteristics that are not found in any present-day plant, thus rendering direct comparisons difficult. The mini-exhibition “Unsolved cases of paleobotany” presents three such plants.

Branch or frond? – Furcifolium longifolium
A wedge-shaped leaf – Ginkgophytopsis delvalii
Enigmatic stems – Hermanophyton