Unlike most other fossil museums the Muschelkalk Museum Ingelfingen is focused on rocks, minerals, and fossils of the Central European Middle Triassic and presents these in a wide variety. The Muschelkalk Gallery shows original samples of sedimentary rocks and informs visitors of the subdivision in lithostratigraphic formations and biostratigraphic zones with their index fossils. Maps and charts explain the palaeogeographic position of the Muschelkalk Sea at the northwestern margin of the Tethys Ocean. Of course, the focus is on the fossils. Ceratites and nautilids, mussels and clams, gastropods, brachiopods, sponges and corals from East France, Germany, and Poland fill more than 20 glass cases and illuminated cabinets. A special highlight is the Muschelkalk echinoderm exhibition comprising sea lilies, sea urchins, starfish, brittle stars and even the unique finds of calcareous rings of sea cucumbers. The remains of fish and marine reptiles on display in seven glass cases are supplemented by life-size models and by casts of complete skeletons from Triassic fossil sites in the Southern Alps. Invertebrate fossils from classic localities in the Alps, Greece and Siberia, and sea lilies from South China show fossils from other parts of the Triassic world.
The Muschelkalk Gallery in the truss of the ‘Innere Kelter’
Each year a small special exhibition is organized
Example of an invertebrate show case: Ceratites and other cephalopods are the most important biostratigraphic index fossils of the Muschelkalk.
The Nothosaurus show case combines original bones and casts with a model designed by M. Kroniger.
The Placodus show case also combines original bones and casts with a life-size model.
The pseudoplanktonic crinoid Traumatocrinus from early Late Triassic black shales of South China is represented by excellent specimens and photos of the fossil site.