Overview
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences' Vertebrate Paleontology Collection contains approximately 63,000 specimens representing more than 400 genera. Founded in the early 1900s, the majority of this collection (89%) consists of fossils from North Carolina; however, in total, fossil specimens from 31 U.S. states and 21 countries are represented. Type specimens in the collection include a variety of Triassic reptiles, Cretaceous dinosaurs, and Cenozoic fish. Other notable specimens include the best-preserved individuals of the dinosaurs Acrocanthosaurus atokensis and Thescelosaurus neglectus, which have been the subjects of extensive study and publications. The collection spans the Paleozoic through Cenozoic, with particularly significant holdings from the Late Triassic of North Carolina and Arizona, the Cretaceous of North Carolina, Montana, New Mexico, and Utah, and the Cenozoic of North Carolina and Florida.
For information regarding the collection or to schedule a vertebrate paleontology collections visit, please contact Christian Kammerer, Research Curator of Paleontology, at christian.kammerer@naturalsciences.org or 919.707.9939.
North Carolina Fossil FAQ
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about fossil collecting in North Carolina.
Paleontology Collection Request Forms
NCSM Research & Collections Collections Policy
- Paleontology Specimen Reproduction Request Form
- Imaging Request Form
- Destructive Analysis Request Form
Online Collections
- Search the Paleontology Collection Database
- Paleontology Collection Photo Gallery
- Paleontology Collection 3D Models
Resources
Contact Staff
- Curator: Christian Kammerer
- Collections Manager: Sean Moran