Natural Science Museum of Valencia

Natural Science Museum of Valencia

The Natural Science Museum of Valencia stands in the city’s park area. It features a valuable paleontological collection of fossils, including unique Pleistocene finds by Rodrigo Botet from South America. At the end of the 19th century, collectors gathered the first specimens for the Museum of Valencia, and they have continuously added interesting specimens ever since.

Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Valencia

History of the Natural Science Museum of Valencia

Since the 14th century, the area of Valencia (Spain) near the Turia River has been home to gardens. They grew trees and flowers here to decorate the royal palace grounds. People in the old days called this nursery-estate Viveros. Now it is a public park with architectural structures and a wide variety of plants. It has a large area, beautiful alleys, and paths convenient for walking.

The main entrance to the Natural Science Museum of Valencia
The main entrance to the Natural Science Museum of Valencia (Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales).

The Natural Science Museum of Valencia has a very valuable paleontological collection. The famous Spanish scientist Jose Rodrigo Botet (1842–1915) began this collection. He collected it in Argentina while working on engineering projects there. Part of his unique collection of Pleistocene animals was purchased from his friend, Professor Enrique De Carles. The best Pleistocene fossil finds from South America arrived in Valencia on the ship “Mateo Bruzzo” back in 1889. This allowed the foundation of the Paleontological Municipal Museum, which was then located in the now defunct San Gregorio Monastery.

Jose Rodrigo Botet
Jose Rodrigo Botet (1842–1915). Since 1875, he has worked as a construction engineer in Argentina and participated in the planning of the cities of Buenos Aires, La Plata, and the port of Campana.

Until 1989, the Museum of Valencia was located in the historic Almudín building. Over time, the Museum of Natural Sciences moved to the old restaurant building in Jardines del Real. In this current building, constructed in the late 1950s by architect Luis Gay Ramos, the museum was established in 1999. It is located in the very center of the City of Arts and Sciences, a cultural center in Valencia, which is 2 km long. It offers visitors temporary and permanent exhibitions.

Old building of the Natural Science Museum of Valencia
This arrangement shows how the Museum of Valencia displayed its exhibits in the old building.
Museum founder Jose Rodrigo Botet
Museum founder Jose Rodrigo Botet (1842-1915)

The hall displaying the entire collection also features large skeletons of a saber-toothed tiger and a series of giant armadillos.

The Inhabitants of the Ancient Seas

Museum of Valencia: A collection of mollusks
A collection of mollusks, corals, echinoderms, and other invertebrates.
Extinct cephalopod mollusks
Extinct cephalopod mollusks that lived in the seas from the Devonian to the Cretaceous period. The exhibition also features shells found directly in Valencia.
Ancyloceratines
Mesozoic Ancyloceratines from Morocco. This is a subclass of ammonites, also known as heteromorphic ammonites, because their shells were not regular spirals, unlike most ammonites. Ancyloceratina is one of the last Mesozoic suborders of ammonites.
Museum of Valencia: Ammonite
This is a large ammonite from the province of Valencia.
Tridacna gigas
Tridacna gigas—the giant clam, whose shell can reach up to 2 meters in length. These mollusks produce the largest pearls.
Natural Science Museum of Valencia: collection of mollusks
In 1925, Eduardo Roselló Bru donated an interesting collection of mollusks to the Museum of Valencia, both local and from other countries.
Trilobites
Trilobites: 1. Cambropallas telesto (family Holmiidae); 2. Acadoparadoxides harlani (family Paradoxididae); 3. Niobata (family Asaphidae, age undetermined, presumably Ordovician); 4. Burmeistrella armata. All except 3 are Cambrian, from Morocco.
Museum of Valencia: Echinoderms
Representatives of Echinoderms: Sea lilies or crinoids, Devonian, Morocco. Known since the early Ordovician, they flourished in the mid-Paleozoic, inhabiting entire underwater meadows.
Museum of Valencia: shark teeth
Teeth of ancient sharks. The one on the left belongs to the species Carcharocles megalodon and comes from the province of Alicante, while the two on the right belong to an unidentified species of Carcharocles sp. from the United States. On the right: small shark teeth from the Miocene. From left to right: Isurus sp. (family Lamnidae) from France, Corax pristonomus (Squalicorax pristodontus) from Morocco, Galeocerdo sp., commonly known as the Tiger Shark (family Carcharhinidae) from the USA, and Hemipristis sp. (family Carcharhinidae) from Alicante.
Fossil fish—Cenozoic fossils of Clupeiformes (unidentified species Clupea sp.) and Myctophids (species Myctophum) from the Miocene of Murcia.
Museum of Valencia: fossil fishes
Dapalis macrurus (incorrectly labeled as Daphalis). Perciformes, family Serranidae, Oligocene, Southern France. Gosintichthys parvus, Eocene, France. Aterina sp., Oligocene, France.
Loggerhead sea turtle
Caretta, loggerhead sea turtle. It can reach a weight of 200 kg. They appeared about 40 million years ago.

The Natural Science Museum of Valencia offers an imaginary journey through different eras to discover the course of evolution and the development of landscapes and ecosystems throughout history. In addition to the Rodrigo Botet collection, the museum features other important paleontological specimens and fossils from private donations, such as the skeletons of extinct animals of various species.

Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Reptiles in the Museum of Valencia

Archaeopteryx
The part and counterpart of the famous lizard-tailed bird Archaeopteryx lithographica from the famous Jurassic Solnhofen limestone in southern Germany.
Ichthyosaurus
Mesozoic marine reptile Ichthyosaurus. Jurassic, Germany.
Natural Science Museum of Valencia: Dinosaur tracks
Dinosaur tracks (ornithopods and theropods), early Cretaceous, La Rioja. Researchers have discovered more than ten sites with such tracks in Spain.
Allosaurus fragilis
Reconstruction of the skeleton of the predatory theropod Allosaurus fragilis, late Jurassic, North America.

The Natural Science Museum of Valencia also features dinosaur bone finds from Valencia.

Sauropods
On the left, the proximal part of the radius bone of the sauropod Brachiosaurus from Sinarcas, then a fragment of the trunk of a gymnosperm tree from the same site. Next, cervical vertebrae, humerus, and other bones of Losillosaurus giganteus from the Losilla and Collado de Alpuente deposits.
Losillosaurus giganteus
Proximal part of the scapula, caudal vertebrae, and fragments of other bones of the Valencian sauropod dinosaur (group Turiasauria) Losillosaurus giganteus (late Jurassic). Its size reached 15–18 meters, weight 12–15 tons. Geological formation: Villar del Arzobispo.
Museum of Valencia: Oviraptor
Nest and eggs of the theropod Oviraptor, late Cretaceous, Mongolia.

Ground Sloths

Megatherium
A gypsum reconstruction of the life appearance of Megatherium, holding onto a tree. It imitates the position in which its skeleton is displayed in the Rodrigo Botet collection at the Natural Science Museum of Valencia. They created this item for the exhibition of the Botet collection in Almodi, an Islamic building in Valencia. It was the first place where they exhibited South American fossil mammals between 1907 and 1990.
Richard Owen's book about Megatherium
The book by English naturalist Richard Owen (1804-1892) “Megatherium or Giant Ground-Sloth of America” (1860).
Megatherium americanum
The giant ground sloth Megatherium americanum.
Museum of Valencia: Megatherium americanum
Museum of Valencia: Megatherium americanum
The complete skeleton of Megatherium stands out for its significance. This ancient animal of enormous size (6 meters in length) is the most symbolic exhibit of the Natural Science Museum of Valencia.
A complete skeleton of Megatherium americanum
A complete skeleton of Megatherium americanum. The position demonstrates that it could feed on leaves from the high parts of trees.
Scelidodon capellini
Scelidodon capellini, a South American ground sloth. Pleistocene-Holocene of southern South America, from the deposits of the Rio de la Plata—Silver River (border of Argentina and Uruguay).
Scelidotherium bravardii
Scelidotherium bravardii (superfamily Mylodontoidea), a ground sloth from the deposits of the Rio de la Plata, Late Pleistocene.
Scelidotherium carlesi
Scelidotherium carlesi (currently considered a junior synonym of the species Scelidotherium leptocephalum). Pleistocene, Argentina. It was extinct about 11,000 years ago.

The fact that Charles Darwin mentioned specimens from this collection in his famous work “On the Origin of Species” made the Natural Science Museum of Valencia one of the most prestigious European museums of its time.

Giant Armadillos

Glyptodon
A plaster reconstruction of Glyptodon, an extinct giant armadillo from South America, made for the Botet collection exhibition at Almodi. The book at the bottom left is a catalog of the Botet collection, compiled by Eduardo Boscá for the Congress of the Spanish Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Valencia in 1909.
Glyptodon clavipes
Glyptodon clavipes existed from the late Pliocene to the late Pleistocene in the Americas. It reached a length of 3 meters and a weight of about 2 tons. Deposits of the Salado River (Argentina).
Eutatus punctatus
Eutatus is an extinct genus of the family Dasypodidae, which has living representatives today. These armadillos inhabited the south-central part of South America from the early Pleistocene (2 million years ago) to the early Holocene (5000 years BC). Here is its skeleton, and in the next photo is its shell.
Natural Science Museum of Valencia: Eutatus punctatus
For some time, the species Eutatus punctatus was considered a junior synonym of Eutatus seguini, but now there is enough evidence to consider it a separate valid species. Articulated concentric bands make up its shell, allowing it to curl up, unlike the Glyptodontidae.
Glyptodon munyizii
Museum of Valencia: Glyptodon munyizii
Glyptodon munyizii (family Chlamyphoridae, subfamily Glyptodontinae), Pleistocene, Argentina. The shell is rigid and rounded, consisting of hundreds of individual shields with fused vertebrae. This construction did not allow it to curl up.
Glyptodon reticulatus
Glyptodon reticulatus, late Pleistocene, Tarantian (12.6–11 thousand years ago), Argentina, Samborombón River. It also inhabited Bolivia and Brazil.
Scerocalyptus ornatus
Armadillo Scerocalyptus ornatus (family Glyptodontidae) and a small plaster reconstruction of its life appearance.
Neosclerocalyptus ornatus
Neosclerocalyptus ornatus
Extinct giant armadillos. In the foreground and to the right is the skeleton of Neosclerocalyptus ornatus (from the deposits of the Rio de la Plata); in the background is the shell and tail tube of Neosclerocalyptus migoyanus (from the deposits of the Samborombón River), Pleistocene, Argentina.
Neosclerocalyptus pseudornatus
The armor of Neosclerocalyptus pseudornatus (which is registered in the museum as Hoplophorus, under its former name), late Pleistocene of Argentina, Buenos Aires province.

Mammals from South America and Valencia

Pleistocene mammals of South America
Various Pleistocene mammals of South America.
Museum of Valencia: extinct mammals
Fossil remains of extinct mammals.
Microstonyx major
Mammalian megafauna of Valencia: fragment of the lower jaw of Microstonyx major. Miocene, from Crevillent. It’s an even-toed ungulate, a very large pig. Weight up to 300 kg. Inhabited riverbanks and wet forests.
Birgerbohlinia schaubi
Cenozoic giraffes (megafauna of mammals from Valencia). Ossicones (bony horns, usually covered with skin in giraffes), on the right: upper tooth row (top) and astragalus (bottom). Birgerbohlinia schaubi, Miocene, from Crevillent (Alicante).
Toxodon burmeisteri
Skull of Toxodon burmeisteri. The valid species name is Toxodon platensis. It weighed more than one ton. This herbivorous mammal belonged to the order Notoungulata. They inhabited South America from the late Miocene to the late Pleistocene (12,000 years ago).
Tetralophodon longirostris
Tetralophodon longirostris. A proboscidean mastodon from the family Anancidae. Femur and part of the jaw with molars. This elephant-like creature could reach a weight of up to 10 tons. Late Miocene–middle Pliocene.
Macrauchenia patachonica
Macrauchenia patachonica—a representative of South American ungulates (order Litopterna), extinct only 10,000 years ago. They reached the size of a camel and had a small trunk on their snout. They diverged from the ancestors of horses and rhinos 66 million years ago.
Macrauchenia and the tail of Megatherium
On the left, the forelimbs of Macrauchenia patachonica, an ungulate from the Pleistocene of Argentina. On the right—a complete tail of Megatherium gallardoy from Buenos Aires province, middle–late Pleistocene.
Smilodon populator
Saber-toothed tiger: Smilodon/Prosmilodon ensenadensis. The name is now considered a junior synonym of the valid name typical for South America, Smilodon populator. Pleistocene of Argentina.

In the museum, we can find the skull of a sirenian aged 5 million years, found in Pilar de la Horadada (Alicante province), belonging to the genus Metaxitherium, from the dugong group.

Exploring More at the Natural Science Museum of Valencia

Rana
Rana sp., Miocene, Teruel province. European common brown frog or European grass frog. The genus contains many extinct species, and the fossil skeleton of one of them is presented in this image.
Natural Science Museum of Valencia: extinct plants
The museum features extinct plants. On the left are Annularia stellata and Calamites. On the right are fossilized leaves of Pecopteris from the Carboniferous period. The findings are from the provinces of León and Asturias.
Amber with ancient insects
A display with pieces of amber in which ancient insects are forever preserved.
Excavation site
A reconstruction of an excavation site with the corresponding tools.
Large collection of minerals
The Natural Science Museum of Valencia features a large collection of minerals.
19th-century scientific office
A reconstruction in the “Science and Technology” hall of a 19th-century scientific office, similar to that of paleontologist Ramon y Cajal, who worked with the Botet collection.
Temporary exhibitions
An example of one of the temporary exhibitions shown at the Museum of Valencia.

Additionally, there is a display area for Valencian ecosystems. The museum shows a series of documentaries and other audiovisual media that provide knowledge about Mediterranean and general natural ecosystems.

Danmodels
Our special correspondent Oleg Danmodels, who provided material for this museum photo session.
The book about the Museum

The Natural Science Museum of Valencia boasts an history and a unique paleontological collection based on the contributions of the famous scientist José Rodrigo Botet. Visitors can admire the impressive skeletons of giant sloths and armadillos, as well as other fascinating exhibits. This museum offers a fascinating journey through different eras of the past, showing the evolution of landscapes and ecosystems.

Opening hours, contact information, and other details about the Natural Science Museum of Valencia.

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