The National Museum of Natural History Luxembourg (MNHNL) organised the ‘Toarcian Palaeobiology Symposium’

From 15 to 18 June 2026, the National Museum of Natural History Luxembourg (MNHNL), through its Department of Palaeontology, hosted the ‘Toarcian Palaeobiology Symposium’. This scientific event brought together researchers from around the world to explore the mysteries of life around 180 million years ago, during a particularly fascinating geological period: the Toarcian.

Why Luxembourg? 

The south of the Grand Duchy is home to exceptional geological strata, which have attracted the attention of the international scientific community. Among these, one rock formation stands out: bituminous shale. This rock, which is sometimes uncovered during construction work – as was recently the case during the building of the prison in Esch-sur-Alzette – harbours a remarkable wealth of fossils.

Bituminous shale owes its name to the organic matter it contains. When scraped or broken, it gives off a faint smell of petrol, reminiscent of a petrol station. And it is precisely this type of rock which, when buried at the right depth, gives rise to North Sea oil.

For palaeontologists, this shale is a scientific goldmine: it contains exceptionally well-preserved fossils dating from the Jurassic period. In 2022, the MNHNL team carried out a scientific excavation at Käerjeng, analysing the shale layer by layer, documenting each fossil and collecting a wealth of data. Thanks to this meticulous work, the Käerjeng site is now recognised as an international benchmark site for the study of the Toarcian.

Why does the Toarcian attract so much interest?

The Toarcian is a specific period of the Jurassic, the age of the dinosaurs, characterised by dramatic global climate change. Although Earth’s history has seen many climatic fluctuations, those of the Toarcian bear striking similarities to current upheavals. They thus provide a natural laboratory for studying the impact of such changes on ecosystems and organisms.

Understanding this distant era therefore helps to shed light on the environmental challenges of our time and to anticipate those of the future.

An ideal venue for an international symposium

Thanks to its exceptional discoveries and its commitment to research into environmental changes during the Toarcian, Luxembourg stands out as a prime venue for hosting this symposium. Discussions between experts have helped to advance our understanding of this key period and to strengthen the Grand Duchy’s position in the field of global palaeontology.

For further information, please contact the Department of Palaeontology at the MNHNL.