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A national touring exhibition in association with GNS Science and Shell that showcases and celebrates New Zealand fossils as indicators and predictors of things such as climate change, evolution, natural disasters and mineral deposits.
Some of the best fossils from the national collections of GNS Science will be seen for the first time.
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A fossil of 47 million-year-old primate, Darwinius masillae dubbed Ida was unveiled by scientists at a ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History on Tuesday 19th May 2009
A team of researchers have unveiled an almost perfectly intact fossil of a 47 million-year-old primate they say represents the long-sought missing link between humans and apes. - source and for more information click the following link http://www.nydailynews.com
Described by many scientists as "the father of New Zealand geology" Ferdinand von Hochstetter arrived in this country in 1858 as a member of an Austrian scientific expedition and is best known for his maps of the 50 volcanoes around Auckland. Hochstetter, however, spent most of his time in New Zealand describing and mapping newly discovered mineral fields for the Provincial Governments of the time.
In 1859 The Nelson Provincial Government invited Hochstetter to investigate the region's mineral deposits and report on their potential for commercial use. One such deposit was an ore found on Dun Mountain which he named dunite.
Whilst working in the Nelson region Hochstetter became fascinated by moa bones discovered in caves at Aorere. In return for a complete moa skeleton Hochstetter made a major mineral and fossil collection available to the Nelson Institute, now The Nelson Provincial Museum. The Museum still holds a number of items from this original collection however the bulk now resides with GNS Science in Wellington.
Hochstetter's association with the Nelson Institute continued when in 1859 he was invited to lay the foundation stone of what would become the Institute's 1861 building.
Although Hochstetter spent less than a year in New Zealand his name lives on with icefalls on Mt Cook, fossil species and a takahe species, Notornis hochstetteri, all named after him.
The Hochstetter exhibition traces the work of this remarkable young scientist during his visit to New Zealand. It includes reproductions of his watercolours and maps and has some of the original specimens he arranged for the Nelson Institute on display.
