Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Museum will remain closed from Monday, December 23 through Friday, January 10 for Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ’s official winter holidays and planned construction activities nearby. 
The Museum will resume normal operating hours (10 AM-4 PM) on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Thank you!

Construction updates, accessibility, and parking information 

Paleontology

primitive deer skeleton

The Paleontology Section of the University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Museum of Natural History is dedicated to research and education in paleontology and evolution of life, and houses the fossil research collections and associated archives, research and fossil preparation laboratories, a reprint collection, and comprehensive teaching collections of fossils and comparative materials.

Although our strength and primary focus is the Early Cenozoic fossil record of the Western Interior of North America, we house a wide variety of vertebrate, invertebrate, plant, and trace fossils, including approximately 150,000 catalogued specimens representing approximately 600,000 objects from more than 8,000 localities in 45 states and 80 countries.

The mission of the Paleontology Section is to:

  • Maintain and conserve its collections in perpetuity with the highest curatorial standards.
  • Facilitate access to the collections to qualified researchers and students.
  • Conduct field- and laboratory-based research in paleontology and earth history.
  • Provide education and expertise in paleontological resources for students, educators, and the general public.