The Collection
Size and focus of the collection: Approximately 400.000 from the Lower Jurassic (especially southwestern Germany); approximately 500.000 specimens from the Middle Jurassic (especially southwestern Germany); approximately 400.000 specimens from the Upper Jurassic (Swabian Alb); approximately 10.000 specimens from the Cretaceous (Europe, Middle East); approximately 8.000 types and published specimens.
Significance of the collection: Bed-by-bed collected Jurassic faunas from southwestern Germany (especially ammonites) are outstanding, the examination of which results in more precise correlation and stratigraphy of the Jurassic, and it enlightens the evolution of the ammonites. The corals and their associated fauna from the late Upper Jurassic, which permits the reconstruction of Jurassic reef communities, are also important. The numerous new finds from the Late Jurassic Lithographic Limestone of Nusplingen are unique. Meanwhile, this site ranges among the most important ones of southern Germany. A large collection of invertebrates from the Posidonia Shale (Upper Liassic) supports the importance of the Holzmaden area as fossiliferous site. The collection of published specimens includes 1030 documents of various publications (1845-1888) of F. A. Quenstedt.
Data Project and Service
The Ministry for Science, Research and the Arts in Baden-Württemberg supported inventory, digitalisation and online access of the collections. Technical support is provided by the Stabsstelle IT & Biodiversitätsinformatik of the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde.
The Dataset "Fossile Invertebrates (Jurassic and Cretaceous) at the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde" and – if not stated otherwise – its supporting files have been copyrighted © 2025- by the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde.