Special Exhibitions

Fossils may be ancient, but they’re neither dusty nor boring—they rock! Paleontologists don’t just study these fossilized creatures; some of them are also huge rock music fans. To honor their idols, fossil researchers occasionally name scientific discoveries after bands and musicians. Presented in a scientifically and educationally engaging way, the “Rock Fossils” exhibition features realistic models of fossils named after the “Who’s Who” of the music world: Sid Vicious, “Lemmy” Kilmister, Mick Jagger, King Diamond, Cannibal Corpse, and many others. The sometimes bizarre exhibits range from finely crafted, lifelike models to an oversized, two-meter-long leather fossil couch. Visitors can listen to the sounds of the rock stars at audio stations. “Rock Fossils” is a journey through evolution to the hard riffs of rock music. Let’s rock!

The Rock Fossils Team: 10 Tons, Rune Fjord Studio, Jesper Milán, Geomuseum Faxe, Mats E. Eriksson, and Achim Reisdorf. We would like to thank the Natural History Museum in Bern, the Fossil Museum in Dotternhausen, and the National Museum of Natural History in Luxembourg for their contributions.