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Month: June 2016

The wonderful creatures of the Valkenburg County Cave (Updated)

Megalosaurus in the Valkenburg Gemeentegrot. Photo: Tim de Zeeuw
Megalosaurus in the Valkenburg Gemeentegrot. Photo: Tim de Zeeuw

The town of Valkenburg is located in gently rolling hills on the southern border of the Dutch isthmus of Limburg, bordered by Belgium to the south and west, and Germany to the east. For centuries, people have been mining the rich sandstone deposits in the area, and have thus stumbled upon numerous fossils. Perhaps none are more famous than those of Mosasaurus. The first of these was found in 1764 and now resides in the wonderful Teylers Museum in Haarlem (which also happens to be my part-time employer). The other, found around 1772, found its way to Paris through the evil machinations of the devious French (note that I’m not judging anyone).