#  Invertebrate Paleontology Research Collection 

 



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##  About 

The Invertebrate Paleontology Collection represents one of the oldest systematic invertebrate paleontological collections in North America with over 1 million specimens, including 10,000 type specimens. Strengths of the collection include a number of European collections from many historic localities, post-Cambrian trilobites, Paleozoic through Tertiary cephalopods, and Tertiary mollusks.



 

 



 [ Search the collection on MCZbase arrow\_circle\_right ](https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/Specimens.cfm?collection=IP) [ Search the collection on iDigBio arrow\_circle\_right ](https://www.idigbio.org/portal/search?rq={"institutioncode":"MCZ","collectioncode":"IP"}) [ Search the collection at GBIF arrow\_circle\_right ](https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?institution_code=MCZ&collection_code=IP) 

 

 

 

 

 Holdings Trenton Group Databasing  

## Holdings

We have approximately 2 million specimens, including just over 10,000 type and figured specimens.

 

 

### All Specimens

 Sort Total 1,062,544 as of 2003    Category   Number of Specimens   % of Specimens      Brachiopods

 403,000

 38.41

   Pelecypods

 160,000

 15.25

   Gastropods

 76,000

 7.24

   Cephalopods

 66,850

 6.37

   Paleozoic Stratigraphic

 61,450

 5.86

   Trilobites

 46,000

 4.38

   Kummel Collection

 28,000

 2.67

   Crinoids

 27,300

 2.60

   Paleozoic Antrozoans

 23,800

 2.27

   Echinoids (Recent)

 23,700

 2.26

   Miscellaneous

 23,525

 2.24

   Bryozoans/Chaetetids

 22,000

 2.10

   Gould Collection

 22,000

 2.10

   Echinoids (Fossil)

 11,810

 1.13

   Graptolites

 11,250 slabs

 1.07

   Type Specimens

 10,000

 0.95

   Ophiuroids (Recent)

 8,712

 0.83

   Asteroids (Recent)

 7,340

 0.70

   Misc. Arthropods

 7,000

 0.67

   Post Paleozoic Antrozoans

 4,500

 0.43

   Poriferans

 3,450

 0.33

   Trace Fossils

 2,100

 0.20

   Foraminifera

 2,000 samples

 0.19

   Conularids

 1,575

 0.15

   Scaphopods

 1,450

 0.14

   Solnhofen

 1,200

 0.11

   Burgess Shale

 1,100

 0.10

   Stromatoporids

 1,054

 0.10

   Recent Crinoids

 1,000

 0.10

   Small Conical Shells

 815

 0.08

   Archeocyatrids

 800

 0.08

   Display Echinoderms

 630

 0.06

   Receptaculitids

 438

 0.04

   Hyolithids

 400

 0.04

   Ophiuroids (Fossil)

 170

 0.02

   Asteroids (Fossil)

 135

 0.01

  





 



### Primary Type Specimens

 Sort    Category   Number      Holotypes

 1380

   Paratypes

 1677

   Syntypes

 1062

   Lectotypes

 116

   Paralectotypes

 48

   Neotypes

 6

   Figured/Voucher

 6699

  





 



### Secondary Type Specimens

 Sort    Category   Number      Hypotypes

 4325

   Figured

 429

   Mentioned

 534

   Measured

 8

   Topotypes

 2

   Cotypes

 3

  





 



### Plastotype Specimens

 Sort    Category   Number      Plastoholotypes

 21

   Plastoparatypes

 3

   Plastosyntypes

 2

   Plastohypotypes

 15

   Plastotypes

 53

  





 



 

 

 

## Trenton Group

 

 

The [Trenton Group Overview](https://trenton.mcz.harvard.edu/) highlights the respective collections of Charles Walcott and Tom Whiteley from the Trenton Falls area of New York, now reposited in the MCZ. This project examines the social history, geology, and paleontology of the area. The geologic setting and the sedimentary geology are addressed in detail, and the paleontology section includes descriptions and photographs of MCZ fossil specimens. The project website was initially created in 2004 and funded by an NSF grant to the MCZ Department of Invertebrate Paleontology.

 



 

 

 

## Databasing 

 

 

 Databasing of the collection began in 1995 and remains an ongoing project. Approximately 194,000 records, including all type specimens, have been databased. Much of the specimen data was captured from old catalog ledgers, some which date back to the founding of the Museum of Comparative Zoology in 1859.

Upgrading taxonomy, specimen and stratigraphic data is a continuing effort. It is an integral part of the databasing process, allowing the most up-to-date specimen data to be captured. Since 2001, the department has worked with various professional paleontologists as consultants for this project. Thus far, information has been updated on the following collections:- Nautiloids
- Paleozoic bivalves
- Charles Walcott’s Collection from Walcott Rust Quarry in Central New York
- Fisk Holbrook Day Collection of Silurian Reef material from Wisconsin and Illinois
- Czech trilobites from the Jan Michal Schary Collection
- Devonian brachiopods from Germany
- Permian brachiopods from the Glass Mountains of West Texas