Guest editors — John Jagt (Natuurhistorisch Museum), René Fraaije (Oertijdmuseum), Johan Vellekoop (KU Leuven, Elena Yazykova (University of Opole)
Introduction — During the last three decades, our knowledge of the stratigraphy and palaeontology of the Maastrichtian Stage in its type area has increased considerably. The celebrations held in 1999, which included a travelling exhibition and a Special Issue published in 2003, clearly demonstrated that research on the Maastrichtian Stage is still very much alive and kicking. The discovery of several mosasaur specimens, together with bird and mammal fossils and significant Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K/Pg) boundary sections in the environs of Maastricht, has contributed substantially to this progress.
In 2024, to mark the 175th anniversary of the type Maastrichtian (introduced by Dumont in the summer of 1849), a workshop was organised covering all aspects of the Maastrichtian, ranging from palaeontology and geochemistry to palaeobiogeography, together with a special session devoted to its iconic marine lizards, the mosasaurs. At this event, the present Maastricht Special Collection, dedicated to research carried out on the Maastrichtian over the preceding 25 years, was presented.
