Presentation of collections

The national palaeontology collections at the MNHN comprise between 5 and 6 million specimens and microfossil slides. The link between our unit and the Collection Department is assured by Sylvain Charbonnier,assisted by several curators and technicians, most of whom are members of the UMR, the group being supported by a team of engineers and technicians from the Direction of Collections at the MNHN.

To the above can be added the palaeontology collection at Sorbonne University, consisting, for the most part, of the historical collections of the Sorbonne. It comprises several hundred thousand fossils, most of which are invertebrates, an ensemble that distinguishes it from the collections at the Museum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN).

• palaeontology collection: http://www.upmc.fr/fr/culture/patrimoine/patrimoine_scientifique/collection_de_paleontologie.html

The palaeobotanic collection at the university comprises specimens collected from many countries and contains many « type » specimens of new species erected by researchers. The 15,000 samples in the palaeobotanic collection derive from the Boureau collection and many donations made by French and foreign geologists. Part of the collection of « type » and « figured » specimens features in the on-line « Palbot » database.

• palaeobotany collection:  http://www.upmc.fr/fr/culture/patrimoine/patrimoine_scientifique/collection_de_paleobotanique.html

• “Palbot” database:  http://albinoni.snv.jussieu.fr/

• MNHN: http://colhelper.mnhn.fr/

• Sorbonne University​ : stephane.jouve(at)upmc.fr