At Warsaw’s Copernicus Science Centre, a large-scale public restoration effort is underway to prepare the skeleton of a Mastodonsaurus for museum exhibition. The project involves more than 2,000 volunteers from various professional backgrounds who work under scientific supervision to carefully remove rock encasing the ancient bones using specialized tools and techniques.
The Mastodonsaurus was a substantial aquatic predator that inhabited Earth approximately 240 million years ago during the Middle Triassic period. Scientists estimate the creature could reach nearly six meters in length and possessed a broad, flat head with long jaws and sharp conical teeth, giving it a crocodile-like appearance despite belonging to a different branch of the vertebrate family tree. The specimen under restoration is notably larger than other known Mastodonsaurus skeletons, which typically measure between two and three meters long and have been discovered in locations such as Germany and Russia.
The skeleton was discovered in southern Poland by paleontologist Tomasz Sulej and colleague Wojciech Pawlak, who conceived the idea of involving volunteers in its restoration. Sulej notes that the specimen’s structural features differ from previously documented examples, providing new scientific insights into the species. Once completed, the restoration will yield the largest Mastodonsaurus skeleton on public display in any museum worldwide, weighing approximately 1,300 kilograms.
Volunteers receive training and protective equipment before participating in two-hour work sessions that involve carefully chiseling away rock using pneumatic tools guided by ultraviolet light. Participants describe the experience as both meditative and thought-provoking, connecting them to an animal that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. The restored skeleton is expected to be exhibited in October or November, allowing the public to view this significant paleontological discovery and reflect on themes of extinction, survival, and nature’s resilience across deep time.
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