Sub-collection

Fossil Invertebrates

Fossil invertebrates from all geological periods – from trilobites and ammonites to exceptionally well-preserved amber inclusions and internationally significant type specimens.

Overview

The sub-collection brings together several historical collections and comprises fossil remains of numerous groups of invertebrates from all geological periods. These include, amongst others, Bivalvia (mussels), Gastropoda (snails), Brachiopoda (brachiopods), Porifera (sponges), Echinodermata (echinoderms), Arthropoda (arthropods) as well as Cephalopoda (cephalopods) and fossil corals.

The collections include, amongst other things:

  • over 340,000 specimens of Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Brachiopoda and Porifera
  • approx. 150,000 Cephalopoda and around 10,000 corals
  • around 90,000 fossil arthropods, as well as an amber collection containing approx. 37,000–43,000 inclusions
  • around 36,000 Echinodermata, including over 1,000 type specimens

The sub-collection contains significant type material, original illustrations and exceptionally well-preserved fossils. These include, in particular, three-dimensionally preserved inclusions in amber as well as extensive regional and stratigraphic reference collections.

The geographical focus is on Europe, particularly Germany, as well as Africa, South America and other regions worldwide.

 

Access

The collections have been digitised to varying degrees. Large parts of the sub-collection are recorded in internal databases, including type specimens and selected groups of objects.

More comprehensive digital data is available for individual sub-collections, such as:

  • around 30,000 digitised objects in the cephalopod database
  • approx. 7,600 records for the coral collection
  • complete recording of the types in the echinoderm collection
  • digitised collections of fossil insects as part of digitisation projects

Digital data can be provided on request. The objects are processed on site.

 

Contact

History

This sub-collection dates back to extensive collecting activities in the 19th century. Significant contributions were made by, amongst others, Leopold von Buch (1774–1853), Ernst Friedrich von Schlotheim (1764–1832), Heinrich Ernst Beyrich (1815–1896) and Friedrich August Quenstedt (1809–1889).

A central component is the amber collection of the Danzig physician Carl Georg Berendt (1790–1850), which had a decisive influence on early amber research.

The sub-collection has been expanded with numerous regional and stratigraphic specimens, including:

  • molluscs from Tendaguru (Tanzania)
  • Cephalopods from Europe, North Africa and North America
  • Sea urchin collections from Africa (including those of Georg Schweinfurth, 1836–1925)
  • fossil insects from Solnhofen, Grimmen and the Crato Formation (Brazil)

Part of these collections originated in the context of historical research journeys and expeditions, and thus within colonial structures. These historical contexts are now being examined as part of provenance research.

 

Research

This sub-collection forms a key foundation for research into the evolution and diversity of invertebrates across geological time.

The collections enable studies on:

  • Phylogeny
  • Biodiversity development and mass extinctions
  • Palaeoecology and climate change
  • Stratigraphic classification of rock layers

Amber inclusions provide unique insights into past ecosystems and allow detailed investigations into the morphology, behaviour and environmental conditions of fossil organisms.

The sub-collection also serves as a reference for taxonomic work, particularly due to its high proportion of type specimens.

Another focus is on provenance research. This investigates the origin and acquisition contexts of the objects and contributes to the transparent classification of historical collection holdings, particularly with regard to colonial contexts.