Gram Natural History Museum opened in 1976 in
Gram
The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a Physical unit, unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one one thousandth of a kilogram.
Originally defined as of 1795 as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure wate ...
in the
Southern Jutland
Southern Jutland ( da, Sønderjylland; German: Südjütland) is the name for the region south of the Kongeå in Jutland, Denmark and north of the Eider (river) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The region north of the Kongeå is called da, Nørr ...
area of
Denmark
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, song_type = National and royal anthem
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
. It was located in
Gram Palace until it was moved to a site next to the
Gram Clay Pit in 2005. Once an independent museum, it became a part of the larger constellation of museums in Southern Jutland known as
Museum Sønderjylland.
Exhibits
The small museum focuses primarily on fossils found in the Gram Clay Pit, most of which are from animals such as the prehistoric shark
Carcharodon megalodon
Megalodon (''Otodus megalodon''), meaning "big tooth", is an extinct species of mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Pliocene epochs. It was formerly thought to be a member ...
who died in the
Gram Sea (the shallow sea that covered most of Denmark) 10 million years ago in the early
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
epoch.
The exhibit focuses in particular on whales and the evolution from land mammals to giants of the sea, as the remains of prehistoric whales have been found in the region. Of particular note is the discovery of a new species,
''Dagonodum mojnum'', known as the Mojn-whale, named after the word for "goodbye" in the local dialect. There are six other prehistoric whales known from the period. In addition, a discovery of a new whale specimen in 2007 is thought to be a new species, but evidence is still lacking.
Gram Clay Pit
Visitors to the museum can explore the Gram Clay Pit and search for fossils themselves. They are welcome to take the more ordinary fossils they find home with them.
File:Gram Lergrav 2020 1.jpg, The clay pit seen from the south end
File:Gram Lergrav 2020 3.jpg, The area where guests are allowed to dig. The small fenced area marks the spot where the latest whale was found.
References
External links
Gram Natural History Museum's Official Website
Museums in the Region of Southern Denmark
Haderslev Municipality
Natural history museums in Denmark
Museum Sønderjylland
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