Micropalaeontology collections
Syracosphaera anthos Coccosphere from the Western Mediterranean. False coloured to show the shell is formed of inner and outer layers of coccoliths with very different structure.
The Palaeontology Department houses extensive reference collections of foraminifera, ostracods, conodonts, palynomorphs, nannoplankton and radiolarians. They include type and figured material from well over 2,000 scientific publications.
The collections contain an estimated 650,000 slides, residue bottles and samples. Individual specimens would number into the millions.
As well as containing commercially significant data, these collections are regularly accessed as part of ocean acidification and climate change studies.
Research visitor facilities
In addition to the micropalaeontology collections themselves, a specialist library and digital imaging facilities are available to scientific visitors.
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About the collection
Discover more about the nature of the Micropalaeontology collections.
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Large donated microfossil collections
Since 1990, several large collections of microfossils have been donated to the Natural History Museum. These include commercially significant collections featuring material from worldwide petroleum explorations. Find out more.
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Foraminifera collections
Foraminifera constitute the most extensive of our micropalaeontological collections, and the most visited. Find out about the key historical and research collections.
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Palynology collections
Organic microfossils in our collections include Lower Palaeozoic palynomorphs, Jurassic dinoflagellates and Cretaceous dinoflagellate cysts. Learn more about our palynological holdings.
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Nannoplankton collections
Nannoplankton collections are particularly important for ocean acidification studies. Find out about the material housed by the Palaeontology Department.
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Ostracod collections
The Palaeontology Department has enormous collections of ostracods, both fossil and non-fossil specimens. Learn about the most important of these.
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Radiolarian collection
Learn more about our radiolarian collection, which contains historically important material collected by Ernst Haeckel.
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Conodont collection
Discover the range of our conodont holdings and the activities that have built the collection.
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Micropalaeontology library
Since 1990, several large collections of microfossils have been donated to the Natural History Museum. These include commercially significant collections featuring material from worldwide petroleum explorations. Find out more.
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Digital imaging facilities for micropalaeontology
Learn about the digital imaging facilities available in the Palaeontology Department, as well as the new techniques our researchers have developed to help visualise microfossils, nannofossils and palynomorphs.