« Sur les traces des dinosaures » à la Grande Galerie de l'Évolution

Ready for a 140-million-year journey in the footsteps of Cretaceous dinosaurs? Follow the daily life of palaeontologists on an excavation site, and learn more about the formidable discoveries of the famous Angeac-Charente palaeontological site!

A unique heritage to discover The palaeontological collections of the Musée d’Angoulême are exhibited in the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution at the Muséum! Did you know that one of the largest known dinosaurs in the world was discovered in this region, Aquitaine? 140 million years ago, northern Aquitaine was covered with swamps, lagoons, and waterways. Since the early 2000s, palaeontological research in Charente and Charente-Maritime has revealed fossil ecosystems rich in Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous fauna and flora. The Musée d’Angoulême thus houses remarkable palaeontological collections from these discoveries: over 10,000 identified bones, 70,000 bone fragments, and 80,000 micro-remains (bones smaller than 10 mm), mainly from dinosaurs and crocodiles. This is the finest collection of Lower Cretaceous palaeontology in Europe.

The exhibition

Where are dinosaurs found? How does a palaeontological excavation site operate? And afterwards, what tools do palaeontologists use to prepare fossils? How do they study the collected specimens in the laboratory? By exploring the exhibition Sur les traces des dinosaures, immerse yourself in this vanished environment where crocodiles, turtles, fish, small mammals, and herds of dinosaurs once lived. Discover a unique set of palaeontological sites in France, stretching from the Île d’Oléron to Angeac-Charente. Skeletons, landscape reconstruction, film – all elements for a grand journey at the boundary between the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods! (Re)discover specimens from the Muséum's collections, resonating with those of the Musée d’Angoulême. Throughout the exhibition, also admire the illustrations by Pierre Mazan. The comic book author illustrates, every year since its opening, the behind-the-scenes of the Angeac-Charente excavations, which has become the largest dinosaur deposit in Europe.