Our fossil collection
The palaeontological collection contains over 60,000 fossils of which over 1600 have been cited or figured in scientific publications. Many of the fossils are of national and international importance and date back to the 18th and 19th century.
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The Bristol Dinosaur
Thecodontosaurus material and associated microvertebrate fossils from Durdham Down and Tytherington.
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Mike Curtis Collection
A collection of mainly Rhaetic microvertebrate fossils from localities around SW England. An associated archive of field and lab notebooks, photographs, maps and reprints is available. This collection has been the subject of some detailed research projects recently by undergraduates, which have been completed with a series of publications.
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Bob Savage Collection
A collection of mammal remains from Libya and Kenya. Associated archive of notebooks, photos, drawings, maps and reprints available.
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Hinton Collection
Cenozoic invertebrate fossils from UK localities. Small archive of correspondence available.
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Tom Fry Collection
A large collection of invertebrate fossils and minerals collected and curated by Tom Fry. An archive of reprints and notebooks is available.
GB3D Type fossils
Explore and view some of our type specimens in 2D and 3D via the GB3D project page
Our iconic Smilodon skeleton
Find out more about the skeleton of a saber-toothed cat in the School of Earth Sciences.
- Where it was excavated (the famous La Brea Tar Pits).
- How it received some new ribs.
- How it fits into the evolution of cats.