The Collections: fossil vertebrates


The fossil vertebrates collection consists of about 5000 specimens, among them are especially remarkable the fossil fishes from the Bolca site (Verona Province), the Miocene Cetaceans from Belluno Province, the Oligocene mammals from Monteviale (Vicenza Province) and the reptiles (Eocene and Oligocene turtles and crocodiles) from Bolca and Monteviale.
The richeness of the vertebrate collection is further enhanced by single samples like the Permian reptile Tridentinosaurus antiquus (the only specimen of this species ever found) and the vertebrates from Pleistocene of Sicily. Among them there are the complete skeleton of a hyppopothamus and two complete elephant skeletons, one of them belongs to the famous pigmy species Elephas falconeri.
In the Museum is also housed one of the larger italian collections of cave bears, coming from the Pocala Cave (Trieste), Velo Veronese (Verona) and the Lamon Cave (Belluno).
Besides the fossils from Italy, there are many other specimens found all over the world as, for instance, american saber-toothed cats and ichthyosaurs from UK and Germany.

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