mosasaur fossil

Vertebrate Paleontology

Vertebrate paleontology conducts research, research training and graduate education on the world’s prehistoric vertebrates — their global diversity, phylogeny, macroevolutionary patterns, historical biogeography, morphology, paleoecology and behavior.

Research

Vertebrate Paleontology seeks to reconstruct the history of vertebrate life on Earth. We contribute to this larger scientific effort by conducting original field and laboratory research aimed at discovering and interpreting the fossil record of vertebrates.

Dinosaur tooth in an open hand

Collections

The Vertebrate Paleontology collection include Paleozoic and Mesozoic fishes, Paleozoic tetrapods, Mesozoic marine vertebrates, Cenozoic small mammals and Natural Trap Cave fauna.

two fossil skulls in a collections drawer