Bernissart fossil site, Paleontological site in Bernissart, Belgium
The Bernissart fossil site contains 43 Iguanodon specimens found in a coal mine, including 30 complete skeletons dating back 125 million years.
The discovery of dinosaur fossils in 1878 at the Sainte-Barbe coal mine required extensive efforts from miners and scientists to extract and preserve the specimens.
The excavation of Bernissart fossils led to the establishment of paleobiology as a scientific discipline and transformed the Royal Museum of Natural History.
The fossil site remains submerged due to the mine closure, with the recovered specimens now displayed at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels.
The concentration of multiple Iguanodon skeletons in one location presents scientists with questions about the circumstances that led to their simultaneous death.
Location: Bernissart
GPS coordinates: 50.47868,3.64905
Latest update: May 27, 2025 17:42
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