Permanent Exhibition "Evolution in Action"

One of the most spectacular objects is the original specimen of the ancient bird Archaeopteryx lithographica – probably the most famous fossil of the world.

It is often called the "missing link" for Darwin's evolutionary theory as this animal showed features of reptiles (here: teeth and front claws) and birds (flight feathers and wishbone).

An especially ‘eye-catching‘ highlight is the world´s largest mounted dinosaurskeleton, Brachiosarus brancai. With its height of 13.27m (43½ ft.) it is even featured in the Guiness Book of Records.

Stromalotites similar to this one from Wernigerode, Germany, have been around for 3.5 billion years and are evidence of early oxygen generation.

Exhibit of Przewalski's horse and the earliest known horse. The evolution of the horse is closely linked to climate change and the evolution of grass (see also Horses, Gras, and Climate).

Mountains arise from the collision of tectonic plates.The crust of the Earth buckles and folds over millions of years, and large masses of rock are piled on top of each other.

Change does not only happen in the slow process of evolution, but also by sudden impacts such as the Impact of the Chicxulub Asteroid about 65 Million years ago that caused one of the largest mass extinctions in Earth's history. Dinosaurs were the most notorious victims of this mass extinction.

Is the peacocks cumbersome plumage contradictory to Darwin's theory of natural selection?

The Quagga, Equus quagga quagga, is an extinct variety of the Plains zebra Equus quagga.

Can the black-and-white pattern really be an effective means of camouflage? Yes, as it does not primarily protect the zebra from large predators, but very small carriers of disease: the tsetse fly (see also The Zebra's Stripes).

The museums East Wing used to be one of the last World War 2 ruins in Berlin. The gap has only been closed in 2010. Today, the East Wing is one of the most modern collection facility worldwide.

The combination of original fragments and modern concrete plates to show, where a bomb once left a great gap, has been awarded with a number of renowned architectural prizes.

Inside, the East Wing houses more than 1 million zoological collection items preserved in alcohol in optimal climatic conditions.

A special glance into our research collection: visitors can view inside our fish and reptile collection.