They couldn't be more beautiful – fishes from the research excavation

The fishes in front of you are particularly well preserved – they even show colour patterns! Colours can only be preserved in the fossil record if they originate from structures. Pigments do not endure fossilization. The only very rare exception is the pigment melanin, which also lets our skin tan in the sun. The exceptional preservation of these fishes is particularly evident in the patterns on their surface, where the melanin is preserved. Take a close look: Which of the fishes shows colour patterns? Nevertheless, the fish had a different colour during their lifetime, they were probably silver like a herring. However, this is only a plausible assumption, it cannot be proven. But how do animals actually become fossils? Watch the film to find out.

The Jura-Museum conducts its own research excavations. These are used to explore new fossil sites in order to sharpen our view of the past. The best-preserved fishes in the world come from the Jura- Museum's current research excavation and are exhibited here in this room. The following film gives you an impression of the excavations from which the fishes originate.

Go to the display case on your right, by the window.

Here you can see how a rock puzzle from the excavation turns into a beautiful fossil. It takes many hours of work to turn a find into a beautiful museum piece. The art of preparation requires patience, sensitivity and fine tools. But these allow you to make a treasure out of a rock!

The fossils are often recovered in several pieces. Our researchers and our preparator are skilled at putting fossils back together again. 

Here you can test your skills!

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