Logo MZM THE MORAVIAN MUSEUM

DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY

Contact:

Zelny trh 6,
659 37, Brno
e-mail: geologie@mzm.cz

Visiting hours: Mondays 9-12 a.m., Wednesdays 9-12 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.



Staff:

Head of the department:
  • RNDr. Ruzena Gregorova - curator of Tertiary collections, investigation of Tertiary fish fauna of the West Carpathian, phone: +420 533 435 222, e-mail: rgregorova@mzm.cz
Staff members:
  • RNDr. Stanislava Hrdličková - guide-mediator, curator of the Palaeozoic collection, phone: +420 533 435 221, e-mail: shrdlickova@mzm.cz
  • RNDr. Zdeněk Minařík - curator of the collection of foreign items and the Mesozoic collection, phone: +420 533 435 219, e-mail: zminarik@mzm.cz
  • Olga Zouharová - librarian-documentalist, phone: +420 533 435 221, e-mail: ozouharova@mzm.cz
  • Karel Diviš - preparator, phone: +420 533 435 221, e-mail: kdivis@mzm.cz


Description of the department:

     The main task of the department consists in exploration and documentation of palaeontological and geological sites in Moravia and, first of all, in the management of its extensive collections. They contain fossils from more than 1000 Bohemian and Moravian localities and from over 850 foreign sites. The storerooms keep a lot of unique items from the fields of phytopalaeontology, zoopalaeontology and geology. The most important acquisitions are the collections of Primary fossils from the Barrandien, Devonian fauna from Čelechovice, Carboniferous flora from the Rosice-Oslavany basin and the Ostrava-Karviná basin, collections of Permian stegecephals from the Boskovice furrow, Mesozoic fossils from Brno and Štramberk, fossil fishes from Terciary localities in the West Carpathian region. The collection of fossil footprints from the Carpathian flysh is quite extensive. The foreign funds include Italian fossil fishes from Monte Bolca or the famous German site Solenhofen. The collection of dynamic geology contains rocks from all geological periods from the Primary to the Quaternary (volcanic bombs, petrographic rock specimens, ventifacts), karst specimens); the volcanic bombs are considered as the most important acquisition.

     The collection of paintings contains mainly world famous palaeontological reconstructions by the academic painter Zdeněk Burian. This is the most complete collection of this kind in the Czech Republic.

     Palaeontological collections belong to the oldest ones in the Moravian Museum, they existed already in the time of the foundation of the Francis' Museum in 1817. The basics of the collections were created by prominent Moravian aristocracts František Hugo Salm, count Josef Auersperg and count Antonín Bedřich Mitrovský.

     The department's staff carries out activities aiming to the popularisation of science and co-operates with all types of schools as well as with the general public.

Research acitivities:

  • Tertiary ichtyofauna of West Carpathians, RNDr. Růžena Gregorová
  • Documentation of important European fossils, RNDr. Růžena Gregorová
  • Palaeontology of the Boskovice furrow
  • Documentation of Moravian palaeontological and geological localities

Permanent activities:

  • Library - hours for the public: Mondays 9-12 a.m., Wednesdays: 9-12 a.m., 1-3 p.m.
  • Consulting - specialist consulting and determination of specimens: Mondays 9-12 a.m., Wednesdays 9-12 a.m., 1-3 p.m.
  • Private research - for specialists and students only

Programmes for schools:

  • Stone - what is it? How does it come into being? What is it good for? We will find out the answers to these and similar questions in the course of this programme. You will learn about the classification of stones and their basic types. Intended for the Ist and IInd level of the primary school (duration 60 min.), suitable especially for the 9th class of the primary school.
  • Unborn life - what does a fossilized dinosaur egg look like, how did it come into being and what can it hide? You can see and hear it in an entertaining programme on dinosaurs, complemented with videos, tests, puzzles etc. Intended for pre-school age (duration 45 min.), the Ist and IInd level of the primary school (duration 60 min.)
  • Excursions - In the company of a specialized guide you can visit two geological-palaeontological localities near Brno (Stránská skála, Hády-quarry) from April to October. You will also be shown some fossils from the storeroom of the Moravian Museum. Price of the excursions: 300,- Kč/group. Maximal number of participants: 30
Please book the programmes and excursions beforehand. Contact person: RNDr. Hrdličková, phone: +420 533 435 221, e-mail: shrdlickova@mzm.cz

Publications:

  • Jaroslav Říha, Jiřina Uhrová: ZANIKLÝ ŽIVOT NA MORAVĚ, exhibition catalogue (available also in English version "THE EXTINCT LIFE IN MORAVIA")
  • Martin Ivanov, Stanislava Hrdličková, Růžena Gregorová: ENCYKLOPEDIE ZKAMENĚLIN (Encyclopedia of Fossils)
  • Růžena Gregorová, Danuše Tomášová: GEOLOGICKÉ ZAJÍMAVOSTI MĚSTA BRNA (Geological attractions of Brno)

Permanent exhibition:

Exhibitions:




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