University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology - Vertebrates

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Description

The University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology (UMMP) vertebrate collection includes over 85,000 cataloged specimens and lots. These include late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic reptiles and amphibians, representing some of the earliest fully terrestrial vertebrate communities. Collections also include large early Cenozoic mammal collections from the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming used to document some of the best known cases of gradual evolutionary change over geological time. The museum holds unique specimens representing the early diversification of primates and whales, including numerous steps in the evolutionary transition of whales from terrestrial mammals with hindlimbs to aquatic animals lacking external hindlimbs. Important collections of late Cenozoic fishes demonstrate long records of diversification within major lacustrine systems. Finally, late Cenozoic mammal collections include the best record of human association with extinct Ice Age mastodons found anywhere on the continent.

Records for approximately half of the cataloged specimens are represented here. Please contact the UM Museum of Paleontology for additional information regarding localities.

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Bibliographic Citations