On the hunt for fossils at the Bern construction site
NMBE/Rodriguez
Fossilised snails, pieces of bone, teeth and jaw fragments have been discovered at a construction site in the Swiss capital’s main railway station.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
During the construction of the new underground station of the Regional Transport Bern-Solothurn (RBS), rock layers have become accessible that would otherwise be hidden, the Natural History Museum Bern (NMBE) said on MondayExternal link.
This was a “unique opportunity” for the museum’s palaeontologists, it said. They are particularly interested in the Lower Freshwater Molasse, a rock layer that was formed about 20 million years ago, when Bern was subtropical.
The NMBE said construction projects such as the one in Bern were a stroke of luck when it came to researching the flora and fauna of that period. But “a keen eye is needed on the construction site to discover potentially fossiliferous rocks”, it added.
NMBE/Rodriguez
The collected rocks are broken up back at the museum and examined for fossil remains. Any fossils are then carefully freed from the rock. Only then can they be analysed in detail under a microscope and classified.
It has long been known that exciting finds are possible in the area. The first fossils came to light in 1850 when convicts were working with picks on the construction of the road to the Tiefenau quarter. Fossils were also found and recovered at the construction site of the Neufeld Tunnel between 2006 and 2008.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Swissinfo's parent company, must restructure due to financial pressures and to stay competitive in the fast-moving media environment.
This content was published on
There has been a sharp decline in the consumption of single-use disposable plastic bags and reusable plastic bags in the Swiss retail sector.
This content was published on
A biometric Swiss identity card (ID) is expected to be available in Switzerland by the end of 2026. The Federal Office of Police and its federal and cantonal partners are working on a new ID card that features a chip.
Heatwave reduces output at Swiss nuclear power plant by 50%
This content was published on
The ongoing heatwave has forced the Beznau nuclear power plant, which relies on water from the River Aare, to halve its output.
Swiss continue to enjoy high social mobility, study shows
This content was published on
Opportunities for upward social mobility have remained intact in Switzerland since the 1980s. Social mobility is exceptionally high by international comparison, a study shows.
Swiss government affected by cyberattack on health foundation
This content was published on
Switzerland says a ransomware attack on the non-profit health foundation Radix that involved data being stolen and encrypted had also affected the federal administration.
Federal Council agrees to investigation into alleged Swiss-Russian spying affair
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland can open spying investigations into the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (FIS).
Appeal launched against Starlink satellite antennae project planned in Swiss village
This content was published on
A group of Swiss citizens has filed an appeal against plans to install 40 Starlink satellite antennae in the mountain village of Leuk in southern Switzerland.
UBS launches buyback scheme for up to $2 billion in shares
This content was published on
UBS is starting a share buyback programme for up to $2 billion (CHF1.6 billion) in shares, in line with a plan approved at its annual general meeting (AGM) in April, the Swiss bank said on Monday.
This content was published on
Swiss palaeontologists have discovered a fish jaw featuring rows of reserve teeth with a clever rotating replacement system.
This content was published on
As there are similarities between the newly discovered fossils and others found thousands of kilometres away, the tiny specimens are thought to be plankton from a network of ancient sea beds that may have extended as far as modern China. On the other hand, based on the exceptional condition of the many fossils that have…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.