The exhibition "Monsters一An Exhibition of Aquatic Reptile Fossils (水怪－水棲爬行動物化石展)" recently opened at the National Taiwan Museum (NTM), introducing the legend of the Loch Ness monster as well as the origins and evolutionary history of aquatic reptiles including Plesiosaurus, Mosasaurs, Thalattosaurs, and Ichthyosaurs during the Mesozoic era.
These rare fossils are displayed for the first time to allow visitors to understand more about the mystery of reptile evolution - from adapting to live on dry land with four limbs to becoming secondarily adapted in a marine environment with their limbs transformed into flippers and reflecting on how extinction occurred.
Secretary-general of the Ministry of Culture Chen Teng-chin (陳登欽) stated that the theme for this year’s International Museum Day is "The Power of Museums," he hopes that more diverse and innovative activities will be organized to demonstrate the power of museums and its rich collection and research.
NTM Director Hung Shih-yu (洪世佑) said that the display of over 40 exhibits gives visitors a glimpse of extinct species. The fossils of Mixosaurus and Anshunsaurus huangguoshuensis are displayed for the first time, accompanied by a demonstration of how fossil preparators prepare the specimens. There will also be collections of Plioplatecarpus skeletons and Prognathodon skull fossils from the collection of the National Museum of Natural Science.
To explore the stories of these underwater monsters, NTM will be holding an online talk on July 3 and 17 inviting experts to share more about reptiles and the geologic time scale. For more information, please visit NTM's
website.