Museum of Fossils from Monte San Giorgio Meride

Jurassic sediments A2 Lugano Morbio Formation Museum Moltrasio Formation Saltrio limestone Besazio limestone of Broccatello Meride Macchia Vecchia Arzo fossils Mendrisio from Meride Formation Kalkschieferzone Museo Stabio dei Cassina beds fossili Monte del Cava superiore beds Chiasso Cava inferiore beds Fossilien- museum des San Musée des fossiles du Giorgio Milano Besano Formation Opening hours Adults Museum Family ticket Meride 09:00 – 17:00 CHF 12.- guided tour 2 Adults Duration 90 min. + 2 Children closed Children up to 6 CHF 120.- from 6 to 16 Mondays years free CHF 29.- 24th 25th 31st From 6 to 16 years Groups minimum December CHF 6.- 10 persons Reservation 1st January CHF 10.- obligatory Students/AHV/ per person for classes, open IV-Card groups and Easter Monday CHF 10.- School groups guided tours Pentecost maximum 25 pupil in the museum + 2 teachers and/or CHF 150.- in the field. Entrance Text Dr. Heinz Furrer Museo dei fossili Scientific responsibility del Monte San Giorgio Photographs © Universität Zurich © Archivio Sommaruga Via Bernardo Peyer 9 Models © Beat Scheffold CH-6866 Meride Design www.theredbox.ch T +41 91 640 00 80 F +41 91 646 17 37 [email protected] Organizzazione Monte San Giorgio delle Nazioni Unite iscritto nella Lista del www.montesangiorgio.org per l’Educazione, patrimonio mondiale la Scienza e la Cultura nel 2003 Mixosaurus, The concept of the exhibition focuses on the fossil fossil skeleton communities found in the five fossiliferous layers and life model of an ichthyosaur from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio. in side view Following the order of the layers and thus through time, the oldest fossils from the Besano Formation On the right: Neusticosaurus, are displayed on the first floor, followed by the partly prepared skeleton slightly younger fossils from the Meride Formation of a small marine reptile, on the second floor. On the third floor, fossils and seen from the underside of the animal rocks from the Jurassic marine deposits of the neighbouring quarries of Arzo are displayed, Below: which are 50 to 60 million years younger. Ticinosuchus, life model Ticinites, of a terrestrial life model of an ammonoid, archosaur an extinct relative of the modern Nautilus Below: The “Saurolo” was produced in the former oil factory of Spinirolo near Meride Museum Monte San Giorgio in the south of Canton Ticino The international importance of this classical of and the neighbouring areas of Monte Pravello and fossil locality, situated at the southern border of Monte Orsa in Varese province (Italy) are among the Alps, was honoured by its acceptance as a fossils the most important fossil deposits in the world. UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 for the from Their numerous and exceptionally well preserved Swiss part and in 2010 for the Italian territory. Monte fossils have been excavated and studied by Swiss and Italian palaeontologists since 1850, and have The new fossil museum of Monte San Giorgio San also been described and reproduced in a number designed by the Ticinese architect Mario Botta in Giorgio of scientific publications. the village of Meride presents the important palaeontological heritage of the region to a wide Within the 600 m thick deposits of limestone, audience. Fossils of animals and plants constitute dolomite and bituminous shales of the Middle the main part of the exhibition, complemented by Triassic, five exceptionally rich fossil layers are brief explanations based on actual scientific found. knowledge and by depictions of the animals as These deposits of a subtropical marine basin have three-dimensional models set in artistic recon- recently been dated to an age of 243 to 239 structions of their habitats. million years. They mainly contain marine organ- isms, such as algae, bivalves, ammonoids, fishes and marine reptiles. A few terrestrial reptiles, Besides this, the history of palaeontological exca- insects and plants are also found, and must have vations at Monte San Giorgio should not be been washed into the sea from islands or the missed. The first fossils were discovered during mainland. mining excavations of oil shale, from which the valuable pharmaceutical product “Saurolo”, a bituminuous salve, was obtained..

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