The Paleontology Department at the Science Museum of Minnesota collects, cares for, and researches the fossilized remains of past life to promote the understanding of extinct and modern life on Earth.
The more than 100,000 specimens in our collections preserve the history and share the beauty of our planet’s array of life. You’ll find everything from barely visible pollen spores to hundreds of crocodiles — and of course, lots of dinosaurs!
Paleocene Wannagan Creek biota, including thousands of fossils from more than 150 species of plants and animals (and fungus!). Crocodilians, champsosaurs, and turtles dominate the collection, but mammals, birds, fish, invertebrates, and plants are also well known from the Wannagan Creek Quarry.
Mesozoic and Cenozoic crocodilians and other reptiles, including Albertochampsa (one of the oldest known alligators), Thecachampsa, Terminonaris, Amphicotylus, and several species of champsosaurs.
Jurassic Dinosaurs from Wyoming, including exceptionally preserved specimens of Camptosaurus and several sauropods such as Diplodocus and Haplocanthosaurus.
Cretaceous Dinosaurs, including T. rex and Triceratops from the Hell Creek Formation. The paleontology team is actively building this collection through annual fieldwork in Montana.
Oligocene fossils from the White River Group of Wyoming and South Dakota, including mammals, reptiles, and fish.
Invertebrate Collections including a representative array of North American invertebrates, and especially Minnesota’s Paleozoic fauna.
Chondricthyan and Actinopterygians from the Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming.
Minnesota’s Pleistocene vertebrate fauna, including Bison, Mammuthus (mammoths), Mammut (mastodons), Cervalces (stag moose), Homotherium (scimitar-toothed cat), Megalonyx (giant ground sloth) and Castoroides (giant beaver), representing the state’s recent past.
Type and Figured Specimens including more than 20 holotype specimens, more than 100 other type specimens, and hundreds of specimens figured in peer-reviewed literature.
Online specimen records and photographs are compiled on iDigBio, a website containing biology and paleontology specimen records from across the globe. Bookmark iDigBio as we periodically add more specimens to the site.