Oysters of Long-Lost Seas – presentation of the virtual exhibition
We invite you to the opening of the virtual exhibition Oysters of Long-Lost Seas at the Bogdan Ogrizović Library in Zagreb, on 7 June 2023 at 19:30.
While awaiting its renovation, the Croatian Natural History Museum is presenting its rich museum holdings through virtual exhibitions. The exhibition Oysters of Long-Lost Seas presents the world of fossil bivalves, with a focus on oysters. It features selected representatives of unusual fossil bivalves from the group Ostreida, including oysters, from the Cenozoic period, the youngest geological era, which began 66 million years ago.
Today, oysters mostly live near the coast, attached to a substrate, and by studying their modern way of life it is possible to reconstruct the environments in which they once lived. In this exhibition, we present part of the oyster material from the Museum’s holdings and learn more about the role of these special bivalves in discovering the ancient world. Oyster finds are especially common in the Miocene deposits of northern Croatia, as confirmed by numerous specimens from the Museum’s holdings, some of which will be presented in this exhibition. Alongside specimens from Croatia, samples from the Museum’s comparative collections from France and Italy will also be presented.
“At a time when everything around us is changing, we are witnessing the devastating effects of sudden changes on sensitive organisms. Therefore, alongside numerous nature conservation actions, we also turn to examples from the geological past and seek reasons why some organisms were more successful than others in surviving periods of crisis. Among such resilient organisms are our oysters. Perhaps modest in appearance, but strong and adaptable, they have contributed to biodiversity and the survival of many marine organisms for millions of years. Geologists appreciate them because they fossilize easily and, due to their relatively long lifespan, they can provide insight into short-term temperature oscillations during the geological past, based on geochemical and isotopic analyses of shell laminae, which are added during growth like tree rings. We must not forget gourmets either, who enjoy their taste. For all these reasons, we want to allow our visitors to discover the fascinating world of Oysters of Long-Lost Seas through this exhibition.” — say the authors of the exhibition.
Authors: Marija Bošnjak, Jasenka Sremac, Nediljka Prlj Šimić, Davor Vrsaljko
Expert associates: Petar Crnčan, Tatjana Bakran-Petricioli, Donat Petricioli
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Virtual exhibition Oysters of Long-Lost Seas
By browsing the available content, you will discover what happened, when, how and why it happened, as well as many other interesting facts related to geology and the geological past of our planet.