Press Event: The Freital Pelycosaur Slab

The famous pelycosaur slab from Freital, discovered in 1901 at a depth of 300 meters, contains six skeletons of Pantelosaurus saxonicus. It is a world-famous fossil, but it will first be permanently displayed in a museum in 2027. The Geological Survey of Saxony is loaning its treasure to the Museum of Natural History in Chemnitz. The Petrified Forest, which is exhibited and studied there, dates from roughly the same period in the Early Permian.

Prior to the unveiling, Prof. Dr. Ronny Rößler, director of the museum, and Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch, Saxony’s State Minister for the Environment and Agriculture, gave speeches. PALAEONAVIX founder Dr. Frederik Spindler was asked to give a brief presentation on the significance of the fossil. Since Pantelosaurus represents our ancestors and because a family tree can be presented more effectively as a live display, we are all the more grateful for the spontaneous willingness of the distinguished guests and hosts.