Year of Coasts and Waters 2020/21
2020/21 was designated the Scottish Government’s Year of Coasts and Waters and Elgin Museum was delighted to be an event partner in this programme of events.
At the Water’s Edge
Made possible with a grant from the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund, our temporary exhibition At the Water’s Edge brought together fossils of Elginerpeton pancheni. Elginerpeton is an animal showing some of the earliest adaptations necessary for life to move out of water and onto land. This important evolutionary step led to the further development of tetrapods (four-limbed creatures), including humans. At up to 1.5 metres long, Elginerpeton was a top predator in the Devonian ‘fish-eat-fish’ world. The exhibition was the first time in 375 million years that the remains of Elginerpeton had been brought together since they were washed down the large inland river that crossed the area at the time.
Reconstruction of Elginerpeton pancheni (C) Per Ahlberg
Lower jaw fragment from Elginerpeton originally identified as a fossil fish bone (C) NMS
On loan courtesy of National Museums Scotland
Scale bar = 1 cm
Elgin Museum Recognition Collection Highlights
We are excited to present a series of short films highlighting some of the nationally and internationally important fossil specimens from Elgin Museum’s Recognised Collection. Expert palaeontologists share their enthusiasm for their favourite items in the collection and explain their significance. Visit our YouTube Channel to view these fascinating short films.
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