The Oldest Turtles in the World from Poland!

In February 2020 we opened a temporary exhibition presenting the oldest fossil remains of Triassic turtles in the world, discovered in Poręba near Zawiercie. The display cases hold the best-preserved carapaces and plastra, that is, the dorsal and ventral parts of the shells of several individuals. Besides the turtles, the exhibition includes fragments of skeletons of other vertebrates from this site, as well as remarkable fossils: coprolites (fossilized droppings). Part of the exhibition consists of specimens of living turtles shown for comparison, including skeletons and specimens preserved in jars. Information boards explain the unique body structure characteristic only of turtles and the evolutionary history showing how their protective shell developed.