Soller Museum displays 500 million years of history

The new fossil room at the Balearic Museum of Natural Sciences in Soller was opened last night. It is dedicated to palaeontologist Joan Bauzà. Bauzà, who was born in Soller, donated his collection of fossils to the museum in 1995 and part of it is now housed in the new room, which was opened by Mayor of Soller Ramon Socias, the head of the Council of Majorca's cultural department and Bauza himself. Guests at last night's opening included councillors Aina de la Peña and Guillem Bernat, members of Bauza's family, founders and directors of the museum and Pere A Serra, president of the Grupo Serra. Only a small part of Bauza's collection is on display as the rest is still being catalogued. There are more than 1'000 fossils on show, illustrating the geological and biological evolution of the Balearics over a period of more than 500 million years. Some of the exhibits are spectacular, such as the skeleton of a now extinct marine mammal and a life size reproduction of the creature which lived off the Majorcan coast more than eight million years ago. A website is now being prepared which will enable surfers pay a virtual visit to the museum. The Science Museum also includes the Botanical Garden, which specialises in Majorcan flora.