![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/lizard-fossil-full-width.jpg.thumb.1160.1160.jpg)
The geographic, stratigraphic and historical coverage of the seven million vertebrate, invertebrate and plant fossils in the Museum's palaeontology collection make it globally important.
Looking for a specimen?
The Palaeontology collection is being digitised
Fossil vertebrates
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/fossil-fish-ellimichthys-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil fish
Our large collection of fossil fishes contains approximately 90,000 specimens, of which 5,000 are type or figured specimens.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/paracyclotosaurus-davidi-fossil-amphibian-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil amphibians
The fossil amphibian collection contains approximately 400 specimens and casts.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/dodo-skull-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil birds
The fossil bird collection includes Archaeopteryx, large flightless birds (ratites) and recently extinct species such as the dodo.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/fossil-mammal-lower-jaw-missourium-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil mammals
The collection contains around 250,000 specimens from around the world and is rich in type and figured material.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/temnodontosaurus-platyodon-ichthyosaur-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Marine reptiles
Our collection of marine reptile fossils contains many specimens from the Lower Lias of the UK’s Dorset coast, including some discovered by Mary Anning.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/press-office/press-image-archive/sophie-1160.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Dinosaurs
We house one of the world’s most important dinosaur collections, which includes 157 taxa and 69 type specimens.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/anhanguera-skull-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Pterosaurs
Our pterosaur collection contains around 1,000 specimens, from isolated incomplete bones to articulated skeletons on slabs.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/cynognathus-crateronotus-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Pre-Cenozoic synapsids and parareptiles
Our collection contains over 3,000 specimens, including a large amount of material from Africa.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/platycarpus-ictericus-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Lepidosaurs
Our collection of fossilised lizards and snakes includes many specimens from Britain.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/steneosaurus-bollensis-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Crocodylomorphs and early archosaurs
The collections contain around 5,000 specimens, from individual bones to articulated skeletons on slabs.
Fossil invertebrates and plants
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/our-work/origins-evolution-futures/pentacrinites-crinoid-fossil-2-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil echinoderms
The diversity and abundance of echinoderm fossils are reflected in our large, world-class collection.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/mucrospirifer-brachiopod-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Brachiopods
The collection has more than 300,000 specimens, including 10,000 type and figured specimens.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/fossil-bryozoan-sem-watersipora-grandis-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil bryozoans
We hold the best collection of fossil bryozoans in the world, with over 5,000 type and figured specimens.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/fossil-worm-tube-rotunaria-annelid-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil annelids
Our collection of fossil annelids is both geologically and geographically diverse.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/naticopsis-fossil-mollusc-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil molluscs
The fossil mollusc collection is systematically, stratigraphically and geographically comprehensive, and includes more than 20,000 type and figured specimens.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/fossil-sponge-illustration-parkinson-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil sponges
Our fossil sponge (phylum porifera) collection contains around 71,000 specimens, including over 200 type and figured specimens.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/petrified-fern-trunk-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Palaeobotany
Our collection of fossil and recent (living) ostracods, including 20,000 single-specimen mounts and many faunal slides.
Micropalaeontology collections
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/ozarkodina-confluens-conodont-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Conodonts
The Museum’s collection of conodont microfossils is particularly strong in Carboniferous material.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/foraminifera-gizehensis-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Foraminifera
The most extensive of the Museum's micropalaeontological collections, with approximately 250,000 slides.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/blaschka-eucecryphalus-schultzei-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Radiolarians
The Museum’s radiolarian collection is a valuable resource for dating rocks and studying oceans of the past.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/ostracod-collection-hti-top.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Ostracods
The Museum’s collection of fossil and recent (living) ostracods, including 20,000 single-specimen mounts and many faunal slides.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/coccolith-emiliania-huxleyi-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Nannofossils
The Museum's nannofossil collection is particularly important for ocean acidification studies and contains both fossil and modern coccolithophores.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/impletosphaeridium-palynomorph-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Palynology
The Museum holds spore and pollen microfossil specimens in a number of discrete collections, including the John Williams Index of Palaeopalynology.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/heron-allen-collection-slide-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Micropalaeontology library
The Heron-Allen Library is a leading international resource for micropalaeontology literature.
Anthropology collections
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/broken-hill-skull-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Palaeoanthropology
The Museum's palaeoanthropology collection includes the UK's largest assemblage of fossil hominin remains and a diverse collection of hominin tools.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/skull-drawings-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Human comparatives
The Museum’s human comparative collection is the largest collection of human remains in the UK, with nearly 25,000 individuals represented.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/human-remains-london/ebenezer-chapel-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
London human remains
The remains of 740 individuals who lived in London over the last 5,000 years, excavated over a century ago.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/palaentology/fossil-primate-skull-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Fossil primates
The Museum’s fossil primate collection contains around 1,000 original specimens and casts representing 96 of the approximately 500 recognised species of fossil primate.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/about-us/science-centre/unlocked-plans-entrance-natural-pond-updated-header.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Collections on the move
Access to some collections will be affected as we prepare for the move to our new collections, science and digitisation centre.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/collections-access-miranda-full-width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Accessing the collections
Scientists and collections management specialists can visit the collections and borrow specimens for research.
![](/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/collections/HWHolben_egg_collection_full_width.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg)
Collections management
Our duty is to provide a safe and secure environment for all of our collections.