Palaeontology collections

The collection contains an estimated 5,000 specimens.

We house one of the world’s most important dinosaur collections, which includes 157 taxa and 69 type specimens.

The fossil amphibian collection contains approximately 400 casts and specimens, mostly of temnospondyl amphibians.

The collection includes Archaeopteryx, large flightless birds and recently extinct species such as the dodo.

The fossil fishes comprise about 90,000 specimens, of which 5,000 are type or figured material.

The collection contains around 250,000 specimens from around the world and is rich in type and figured material.

The collection contains fossilised lizards and snakes, including the gliding lizard Kuehneosaurus, along with many other specimens discovered in Britain.

The collection of marine reptile fossils contains many specimens from the UK’s Dorset coast, including some discovered by Mary Anning.

The collection contains over 3,000 specimens, including a large amount of material from Africa.

The pterosaur collection contains around 1,000 specimens, from isolated incomplete bones to articulated skeletons on slabs.

The collection has more than 300,000 specimens, including 10,000 type and figured specimens.

The fossil annelid collection is both geologically and geographically diverse, with an estimated 14,000 specimens

We hold the best collection of fossil bryozoans in the world, with over 5,000 type and figured specimens.

The diversity and abundance of echinoderm fossils are reflected in this world-class collection.

The fossil mollusc collection is systematically, stratigraphically and geographically comprehensive.

The collection contains around 71,000 specimens, including over 200 type and figured specimens.

The collection contains material dating from the Archean to the present day and includes cyanobacteria, fungi and plants.

The collection of conodont microfossils is particularly strong in Carboniferous material.

The most extensive of the micropalaeontological collections, with approximately 250,000 slides.

The Heron-Allen Library is a leading international resource for micropalaeontology literature.

The collection is important for ocean acidification studies and contains fossil and modern coccolithophores.

The collection of fossil and living ostracods includes 20,000 single-specimen mounts and faunal slides.

The spore and pollen microfossil specimens are held in several discrete collections.

The radiolarian collection is a valuable resource for dating rocks and studying past oceans.

The collection contains specimens representing 96 of the ~500 recognised species of fossil primate.

The largest collection of human remains in the UK, representing nearly 27,500 individuals.

The remains of 740 individuals who lived in London over the last 5,000 years, excavated over a century ago.

The collection includes the UK’s largest assemblage of fossil hominin remains and a diverse range of hominin tools.

Find out how to arrange a visit to the collections and access specimens for research.

Find out how we fulfil our duty to provide a safe and secure environment for the collections in our care.

Discover how we are preparing for the UK’s largest collections move and which collections will have limited access.