Taitung County Natural History Education Center Introduction
The Taitung County Museum of Natural History was established in 1985 as a shell exhibition hall at Sanxian Elementary School in Chenggong Township, Taitung County. In 1994, the provincial museum was established based on this foundation, and the Taitung County Museum of Natural History was set up, systematically organizing, displaying, and studying the original shell specimens. The museum currently houses 557 species of shell specimens and has added a mineral display room, collecting marine treasures and minerals from around the world. It combines natural resources and educational functions, making it the best classroom for understanding the precious marine and mountain resources hidden along the east coast. The establishment of the Taitung County Museum of Natural History proves that the beautiful east coast offers more than just sublime landscapes; the evolutionary evidence of marine creatures from the depths of the ocean is one of nature's most remarkable gifts. The museum's collection prominently features the Adamson's Tectus and the Dragon Palace Tectus, both of which are considered living fossils. The Adamson's Tectus belongs to a family of marine snails that appeared 570 million years ago, and a living species was discovered in the late 19th century, hence it is regarded as a living fossil. The Adamson's Tectus, which feeds on sponges, not only has a large and beautiful shell but also holds considerable academic value, making it a valuable specimen that collectors and researchers cannot miss. The museum's specimen of Adamson's Tectus, purchased in 1997, has a diameter of 10 cm and comes from deep waters in the Bahamas. The Dragon Palace Tectus is also considered a living fossil; a large number of these were discovered in the waters of the Diaoyu Islands in the late 1970s, causing a sensation known as the "Dragon Palace shell shock," which led to the establishment of the Malacological Society of the Republic of China. The museum’s specimen of Dragon Palace Tectus measures 8.5 cm in diameter and is a small specimen originating from deep waters in northeastern Taiwan. The third floor of the Taitung County Museum of Natural History features a mineral display room showcasing over 200 pieces of mineral rocks from the Hualien and Taitung areas, including nephrite and Taiwan sapphires from the Coastal Mountain Range, presented in both raw and carved forms to help visitors understand their applications and values in craftsmanship. The raw Taiwan sapphire was first unearthed during the Japanese colonial period by indigenous people on Dulan Mountain, measuring 70 cm tall, 30 cm wide, and 30 cm long, which marked the beginning of a treasure hunt craze in the Coastal Mountain Range. Currently, apart from occasionally finding small raw stones on the east coast, the original mineral vein has ceased production. The museum's collection includes a Taiwan sapphire raw stone measuring 29.5 cm high, 21 cm wide, and 21 cm long, which was purchased in 1998.
