The core of the Academy s collection includes the fossil elephants studied by Thomas Jefferson, the first dinosaur fossils from North America, the only fossil collected by Lewis and Clark, as well as the extensive collections of Leidy and Cope. Although many of these specimens have great historical value, they also remain crucial for primary research. Today, the vertebrate fossil collection houses more than 21,000 specimens and that number is rapidly growing through recent research efforts. This work has already uncovered thousands of new fossils that represent at least eight new species and dramatically illustrate the diversity of life and the evolving ecosystems during this critical interval in earth history. Fossils uncovered in this project are also providing important data on the origin of limbed animals from fishy precursors.
Paleontology is an exciting and dynamic field.
There are an incalculable number of discoveries still to be made through fossil exploration and exacting research. The study of fossils at The Academy of Natural Sciences has a long and prestigious history, providing a strong foundation for building towards an even brighter future for vertebrate paleontology in Philadelphia.