Jump to content

Natural History Museum Maastricht: Exhibition "Whale: Locality Maastricht"


ziggycardon

Recommended Posts

Hi! 

I made a small visit to the Natural History Museum in Maastricht today to visit the new small exhibition named "Whale: Locality Maastricht" which centers around some Eocene whale bones from an undescribed whale found in the ENCI quarry in Maastricht. 


The exhibition explores further into the evolution of whales, it's a small exhibition but worth a visit if you haven't seen the museum or if you are really interested in whale evolution. 

 

Should any of our Dutch, Belgian & German members decide to visit (or international members who are in the area), then you should really grab a copy of the exhibition book. It is really cool and informative, it's only €2,50 but 125 pages long (both in dutch & english) and it covers the evolution of whales, the ENCI whale, modern whales & their biology and about whaling and whales in human history & myth. The exhibition book alone is well worth the visit in my opinion, I kinda compare it with the EOS magazine about Iguanodons & the book "Mammoths: ice age giants by Adrian Lister" but then about whales.

 

So here are the photo's I made of the exhibition.

 

The Exhibition Room:

5cf685a3a212e_155965638634000624(9).jpg.2895ea18d402731f7e6926edc26c4cec.jpg

5cf685a517fc8_155965638634000624(10).jpg.359e783fc4e0d4680a446b9aa9bc16b9.jpg

5cf685a5daecd_155965638634000624(11).jpg.9468aa6ecdf7271fc595a06d4218061d.jpg

5cf685a7cb641_155965638634000624(12).jpg.ef43861d2ab0757efa7e3a68e5532558.jpg

 

left: Metepocetus sp. neurocranium with preserved ear bones from Liessel in the Netherlands (Miocene)

Right: Isoluted vertebrae of various whale species from Liessel in the Netherlands (Miocene)

5cf68611105bb_155965638634000624(13).jpg.2315d6dd92438ec770b46e02332853d3.jpg

 

5cf68612a5d70_155965638634000624(15).jpg.26a89ca905876bd6cbd183b3e010395e.jpg

 

5cf68850c3130_155965638634000624(16).jpg.13ce035ee41bd1bd08bf1b94a4e2f874.jpg

 

Isolated vertebrae of Eocene primordial whales (Archaeoceti) dredged from the buttom of the North Sea, for comparison with those of the "ENCI whale"

5cf68851ae701_155965638634000624(17).thumb.jpg.de52dd9a761c55df593eca4d9492a8ba.jpg

 

Isolated vertebrae of Eocene primordial whales (Archaeoceti) dredged from the buttom of the North Sea, for comparison with those of the "ENCI whale"5cf68852bc9f8_155965638634000624(18).jpg.fe6a08eae6433bec47b8cba33827991d.jpg

 

Smallest jaw: possibly Dorudon sp. from the late Eocene of Ad Dakhla in Morocco.
Bigger jaw: possibly Pappocetus lugardi, from the middle Eocene of Ben Gueran in Morocco.

5cf689ce2537e_155965638634000624(14).jpg.f4c99395d49d932a944c5b1a7c38ac55.jpg

5cf689cf1ca43_155965638634000624(19).jpg.87757108e7778d10b4cf952619f9a2d0.jpg

5cf689d0f1fa9_155965638634000624(20).jpg.57df8e13817b0c239f192cb16001e1c7.jpg5cf689d251643_155965638634000624(21).jpg.ae178ade2f7cb1c54135980e86466c78.jpg

 

  • I found this Informative 5

Interested in all things paleontology, geology, zoology, evolution, natural history and science!
Professional exotic pet keeper, huge fantasy geek, explorer of the microfossil realm, member of the BVP (Belgian Association for Paleontology), Volunteer prepper at Oertijdmuseum Boxtel.  

View my collection topic here:

The Growing Collection of Ziggycardon
My animal collection at the "Members pet" topic

Ziggycardon's exploration of the microfossil realm

Trips to Eben Emael (Maastrichtian of Belgium)

My latest fossil hunt

 

Next project will be a dedicated prepping space.

 

"A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." - Tyrion Lannister

 

5d68d9f3c550a_153657011360380104(21).jpg.bda3d3b7ae7b8321dd0620a0c61cc459.jpg5d68da1b497f5_153657011360380104(20).jpg.8610ffc65ccaa5d057e7b52b65989cd0.jpg5d68da353dd03_153657011360380104(24).jpg.ae73afaefa6ab34e7af5f6131aed96ff.jpgsolnhofen.jpg.76dd03ba7eb39946850662021b7d8dd4.jpg166802558255587143.jpg.c38d91e9e45f17addf29c40166b797a2.jpg5d68da49ad887_153657011360380104(25).jpg.dfff987039b3c99f41e44da51f71ae91.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bones of the "ENCI Whale", an undescribed species of Eocene whale found in the famous ENCI quarry in Maastricht, The Netherlands (Late Eocene, 35 mya).

These bones were unearthed in 1979, but it wasn't until 2014 that their true significance was appreaciated.

The find is significant because only very few remains of Eocene whales are known from Europe and ofter very fragmented. The bones are believed to have belonged to a member of the Basilosauridae family.

5cf68b94d425d_155965638634000624(23).thumb.jpg.3727b90fb3c412fa5447dc5087f54a71.jpg

5cf68b95ef424_155965638634000624(24).thumb.jpg.6dc6d38c434092752edd35fef51df60f.jpg

5cf68b96d2f4f_155965638634000624(25).jpg.2157ee123223594c24bf91caa2dfe046.jpg

5cf68b97b9f5e_155965638634000624(26).jpg.382e77a2df8a767624538ae0daa4bb2b.jpg

 

5cf68dc72b176_155965638634000624(22).thumb.jpg.2430fbf2cdb08637c4891bc668995192.jpg

5cf68dc8734b2_155965638634000624(27).jpg.4dfccf2e44c06fe1bb7884f9e1488315.jpg

 

Cast of a partial skeleton of Indohyus from the Eocene of Kasjmir in Pakistan.

5cf68dca1fb8a_155965638634000624(28).jpg.cb4e1d4f3f696fcb8bfcda9e2b59bdb7.jpg

 

5cf68dcb04331_155965638634000624(29).jpg.a36d70f7682ec8e0ca361bf085f13397.jpg

 

Some Miocene whale & dolphin ear bones

5cf68dcbda620_155965638634000624(30).jpg.a15377a051c7c1ac6da59616cf2f6db2.jpg

 

A modern dolphin skull

5cf68dcd6c586_155965638634000624(31).jpg.02b042c7a86e95af18f11d8c71a0e446.jpg

 

A large modern whale vertebrae

5cf68dce6d917_155965638634000624(32).jpg.a2316b2ad70503edeba82b1859e7dfa1.jpg

 

 

And I couldn't resist of visiting Prognathodon Bér again ;) 

5cf68dcf78ea3_155965638634000624(33).jpg.91a8e70082024bb084b21f5919339d05.jpg

 

Ofcourse after the exhibition I took a quick visit through the museum but since I posted a topic about the rest already I am not going to do that again but if you want the see the rest of the Natural History Museum of Maastricht, here is that topic:

 

  • I found this Informative 4

Interested in all things paleontology, geology, zoology, evolution, natural history and science!
Professional exotic pet keeper, huge fantasy geek, explorer of the microfossil realm, member of the BVP (Belgian Association for Paleontology), Volunteer prepper at Oertijdmuseum Boxtel.  

View my collection topic here:

The Growing Collection of Ziggycardon
My animal collection at the "Members pet" topic

Ziggycardon's exploration of the microfossil realm

Trips to Eben Emael (Maastrichtian of Belgium)

My latest fossil hunt

 

Next project will be a dedicated prepping space.

 

"A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." - Tyrion Lannister

 

5d68d9f3c550a_153657011360380104(21).jpg.bda3d3b7ae7b8321dd0620a0c61cc459.jpg5d68da1b497f5_153657011360380104(20).jpg.8610ffc65ccaa5d057e7b52b65989cd0.jpg5d68da353dd03_153657011360380104(24).jpg.ae73afaefa6ab34e7af5f6131aed96ff.jpgsolnhofen.jpg.76dd03ba7eb39946850662021b7d8dd4.jpg166802558255587143.jpg.c38d91e9e45f17addf29c40166b797a2.jpg5d68da49ad887_153657011360380104(25).jpg.dfff987039b3c99f41e44da51f71ae91.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like you had fun today and the book you bought seems to be a good deal. :)

Thank you for the report, I try to go there some day

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the first I have heard of Eocene deposits/fossils in the ENCI quarry.  It makes it all the more tragic that the quarry is closing and the outcrop is scheduled to be covered up (according to the last I heard anyway).

 

Don

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Natalie81 said:

Looks like you had fun today and the book you bought seems to be a good deal. :)

Thank you for the report, I try to go there some day

Thank you, I did indeed enjoy my visit and yes the book is amazing :) 
The exhibition still runs till 12 junuary 2020, so there is still plenty of time to visit. :) 

 

2 hours ago, FossilDAWG said:

This is the first I have heard of Eocene deposits/fossils in the ENCI quarry.  It makes it all the more tragic that the quarry is closing and the outcrop is scheduled to be covered up (according to the last I heard anyway).

 

Don

Yes, me too, I thought ENCI was only cretaceous. But apparently the scientists didn't know of Eocene deposits either since when the bones were originally found in 1979 they were believed to have been from the Oligocene. Recent research however dated them to the Eocene, that's why it has become such a significant find all of a sudden. :) 
And yes very sad about the ENCI quarry, I had always hoped to go on a hunt there one day, but I fear that won't be possible anymore. :(  

Interested in all things paleontology, geology, zoology, evolution, natural history and science!
Professional exotic pet keeper, huge fantasy geek, explorer of the microfossil realm, member of the BVP (Belgian Association for Paleontology), Volunteer prepper at Oertijdmuseum Boxtel.  

View my collection topic here:

The Growing Collection of Ziggycardon
My animal collection at the "Members pet" topic

Ziggycardon's exploration of the microfossil realm

Trips to Eben Emael (Maastrichtian of Belgium)

My latest fossil hunt

 

Next project will be a dedicated prepping space.

 

"A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." - Tyrion Lannister

 

5d68d9f3c550a_153657011360380104(21).jpg.bda3d3b7ae7b8321dd0620a0c61cc459.jpg5d68da1b497f5_153657011360380104(20).jpg.8610ffc65ccaa5d057e7b52b65989cd0.jpg5d68da353dd03_153657011360380104(24).jpg.ae73afaefa6ab34e7af5f6131aed96ff.jpgsolnhofen.jpg.76dd03ba7eb39946850662021b7d8dd4.jpg166802558255587143.jpg.c38d91e9e45f17addf29c40166b797a2.jpg5d68da49ad887_153657011360380104(25).jpg.dfff987039b3c99f41e44da51f71ae91.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ziggycardon said:

And yes very sad about the ENCI quarry, I had always hoped to go on a hunt there one day, but I fear that won't be possible anymore. :(  

I collected there when I was a kid, back around the early 1970s.  I still have some things I found, which are all the more special since I won't be able to replace them.

 

Don

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice report Ken :)

 

They did a really good job on their presentation, the exhibition looks stunning :)

 

 

 

growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, FossilDAWG said:

I collected there when I was a kid, back around the early 1970s.  I still have some things I found, which are all the more special since I won't be able to replace them.

 

Don

That's so cool, I would love to see the things you've found there. :) 
 

1 hour ago, Manticocerasman said:

Nice report Ken :)

 

They did a really good job on their presentation, the exhibition looks stunning :)

 

Thank you, although it's a very small exhibit room they really did make it look as pretty & informative as they could. :) 

Interested in all things paleontology, geology, zoology, evolution, natural history and science!
Professional exotic pet keeper, huge fantasy geek, explorer of the microfossil realm, member of the BVP (Belgian Association for Paleontology), Volunteer prepper at Oertijdmuseum Boxtel.  

View my collection topic here:

The Growing Collection of Ziggycardon
My animal collection at the "Members pet" topic

Ziggycardon's exploration of the microfossil realm

Trips to Eben Emael (Maastrichtian of Belgium)

My latest fossil hunt

 

Next project will be a dedicated prepping space.

 

"A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." - Tyrion Lannister

 

5d68d9f3c550a_153657011360380104(21).jpg.bda3d3b7ae7b8321dd0620a0c61cc459.jpg5d68da1b497f5_153657011360380104(20).jpg.8610ffc65ccaa5d057e7b52b65989cd0.jpg5d68da353dd03_153657011360380104(24).jpg.ae73afaefa6ab34e7af5f6131aed96ff.jpgsolnhofen.jpg.76dd03ba7eb39946850662021b7d8dd4.jpg166802558255587143.jpg.c38d91e9e45f17addf29c40166b797a2.jpg5d68da49ad887_153657011360380104(25).jpg.dfff987039b3c99f41e44da51f71ae91.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whoa, very cool! I'll definitely have to visit it soon then!

Thanks for sharing!

Max Derème

 

"I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day."

   - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier

 

Instagram: @world_of_fossils

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...