Fossil vertebrates
Fossil vertebrates spanning over 300 million years of Earth’s history – from early fish to dinosaurs, birds and mammals, including internationally significant type specimens and reference fossils.
Overview
The sub-collection brings together several historical collections and comprises fossil remains of all major vertebrate groups from the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. These include collections of Mammalia (mammals), Actinopterygii and Sarcopterygii (fish), Amphibia, Reptilia and Aves (birds).
The collections include, amongst other things:
- approx. 80,000 macro-fossils and around 1,000,000 small mammal remains (Mammalia)
- more than 18,000 fossil reptiles and tetrapod tracks
- approx. 25,000 fossil fish and 1,500 amphibians
- around 3,000 fossilised bird specimens
In addition, there are special collections such as otoliths (ear stones), histological thin sections and a hominid collection.
The material consists mainly of fossilised bones and teeth, as well as trace fossils, skin and fur remains, casts and accompanying documents. The geographical focus is on Europe (including Solnhofen, Holzmaden and Rüdersdorf), East Africa (Tendaguru) and other fossil sites worldwide.
Contact
Dr Daniela Schwarz
Scientific Head of Collection (Fossil birds, reptiles, tetrapods tracks)
Email: Daniela.Schwarz@mfn.berlin
Telephone: +49 30 889140-8754
PD Dr Oliver Hampe
Scientific Head of Collection (Fossil mammals, Conodonta; Geology)
Email: Oliver.Hampe@mfn.berlin
Telephone: +49 30 889140-8678
PD Dr Florian Witzmann
Scientific Head of Collection (Fossil fish, amphibians)
Email: Florian.Witzmann@mfn.berlin
Telephone: +49 30 889140-8820
Andreas Rassuly
Collection Management
Email: Andreas.Rassuly@mfn.berlin
Telephone: +49 30 889140-8353
Dr David Ware
Collection Management
Email: David.Ware@mfn.berlin
Telephone: +49 30 889140-8353
Access
The collections have been digitised to varying degrees. Over 45,000 items from the fossil mammal collection have been entered into a database, and the hominid collection has been fully documented digitally. The fossil fish and amphibian collections have also been largely digitised. The fossil reptile collection has so far only been partially digitised.
Digital data can be provided on request via the relevant contact persons. 3D data (surface and volume data) is already available for individual objects.
The objects are processed on site. Workstations and technical equipment such as binocular and polarising microscopes are available in the collection rooms.
History
The collection traces its origins to several historical collections that have been built up and continuously expanded since the 19th century. It began with the Mineralogical Museum of the University of Berlin, which emerged from the Royal Mineral Cabinet in 1810.
The collection was shaped by research expeditions, excavations and acquisitions. Significant contributions were made by, amongst others, Friedrich Sellow (1789–1831), Margarethe L. Selenka (1860–1922) and Ludwig Kohl-Larsen (1884–1969).
For the fossil reptiles, the excavations by Otto M. J. Jaekel (1863–1929) in Halberstadt and the German Tendaguru Expedition (1909–1913) are of particular significance. Among those involved were Werner E. M. Janensch (1878–1969), Edwin Hennig (1882–1977) and Hans Reck (1886–1937). The finds from Tendaguru in present-day Tanzania remain among the most significant dinosaur collections in the world to this day. We are currently investigating their colonial context as part of provenance research. In a further research project, we are making the holdings of the Tendaguru Collection accessible online.
Another milestone was the acquisition of the Berlin specimen of Archaeopteryx lithographica in 1880, facilitated in part by Heinrich Ernst Beyrich (1815–1896) and financially supported by Werner von Siemens (1816–1892).
The collection was further expanded in the 20th century through international expeditions and purchases, and continues to grow today through donations, exchanges and targeted acquisitions.
Research
This sub-collection forms a key foundation for research into the evolution of vertebrates. Particular attention is paid to evolutionary transitions, such as the transition of vertebrates to land, which is studied using fossil fish and amphibians.
The collections enable studies on:
- Phylogeny
- Population dynamics and biodiversity
- Palaeoecology and climate change (stratigraphy)
- Functional morphology and biomechanics
Fossil tetrapod tracks provide important insights into the locomotion and behaviour of extinct animals. Histological thin sections support palaeohistology and allow conclusions to be drawn about growth and physiology.
Modern methods such as CT and µCT analyses, 3D surface scanning and isotope analyses complement classical morphological examination. Well-preserved subfossil materials also enable genetic analyses.
Another focus is on provenance research. This examines the origin and acquisition contexts of the objects, particularly in the case of historical collections from colonial-era research expeditions, and contributes to a transparent understanding of the collection’s history.