On the 13th of May in Collegium Maius building in Opole, Kopernika street, the Chairman of the Cement Company “ODRA” S. A. in Opole Mr Wojciech Putra and the vice-rector for promotion and management of Opole University Prof. Dc. Wiesława Piątkowska-Szczepaniak concluded an agreement concerning the transfer of ownership of the Turonian fossil collection (90 mln. years ago) of the Late Cretaceous period owned by the Cement Company “ODRA” S. A. in Opole.
Under the Agreement University of Opole acquired the fossil collection, which is considered to be a treasure of Opole Region. The collection is available for visitors at the permanent exhibition in the Museum of Opole University.
The exhibition “Palaeontological Treasures of Opole Region” was made permanent in the Museum of Opole University by the Laboratory of Palaeobiology and recently created European Centre of Palaeontology. It comprises unique palaeontological specimens found in various sites in Opole voivodship, including Odra Nowa quarry owned by the Cement Company “ODRA”.
Among the exhibited fossils you can find some of the largest ammonites (extinct cephalopods, relatives of today’s octopus) in Poland, belemnites (cephalopods, relatives of today’s squid) and enormous inoceramids (a group of extinct bivalves. Apart from the aforementioned groups, which are the most important in terms of stratigraphy, there are other groups exhibited as well: bivalves, sea urchins, sponges, brachiopods and trace fossils. Along with invertebrate fauna you can find teeth of large shark of the Ptychodus genus, which could attain length up to 7m in the state of maturity.
Exhibited material has been already studied, described in several MA theses in the Laboratory of Palaeobiology and in several scientific papers.
The exhibition “Palaeontological Treasures of Opole Region” was placed at the permanent exhibition in the Museum of Opole University. You’re welcome to visit the museum and discover this interesting collection of specimens dating from tens of millions years ago.