Paleontology
Fossils, witnesses of times.
Browse field selections: these categories suggested by the museum represent an important part of the collections, without being exhaustive.
Fossil Vertebrates
This collection comprises nearly 58,000 specimens or lots, including regional reference deposits such as the sites of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy and la Grive-Saint-Alban, as well as numerous fauna from caves throughout France.
Fossil Invertebrates
With nearly 100,000 objects or samples, it is the richest collection in palaeontology. It includes a wide variety of zoological groups, with some, such as ammonites and sea urchins, that are particularly well represented.
Palaeobotany
Fossilised plant remains are also well represented in the collection, with nearly 2,300 specimens, most of which date from the Carboniferous period, including one from the Saint-Étienne coalfield.