End of exhibition:
27. February 2022
From the biodiversity of snails and the elegance of the nautilus to the massiveness of large oysters - with their variety of shapes and colors, the shells of so-called molluscs have always fascinated people, not only for aesthetic reasons but also for scientific interest: What are shells made of? How does the attractive spiral shape develop? Why are shells so diverse? ... These questions are addressed and answered in the special exhibition “BioMinerals”
Just like the bones and teeth of vertebrates, mollusc shells consist of tiny crystals of a so-called biomineral in combination with organic matter. The origin, evolution, occurrence and function of biominerals and the way they are formed by living organisms (biomineralization as a process) are examined, as are the causes and limits of the variety of shapes of shells and skeletons made of biominerals.
The exhibition comprises over 600 exhibits, including models of molluscs and many specimens of shellfish that have existed on Earth from the Cambrian period to the present day. An interactive program allows visitors to virtually experience the creation of shell shapes in 3D.
In addition to numerous exhibits of present-day and extinct shell formers, living animals that form biominerals (including mussels, snails and corals) will be on display in a seawater aquarium. The exhibition concludes with exhibits that illustrate the scientific, economic and cultural significance of the formation of biominerals - especially in the form of mollusc shells - for humans.
