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Oregon's Fossil Heritage

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Starfish

Oregon's Fossil Heritage

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A major strength of the fossil collections acquired from museum paleontologist Greg Retallack is the precise geological and locality data that accompanies each specimen. The most important piece of scientific information on a fossil is its exact location, because this enables detailed scientific work on such questions as paleoenvironmental change and rates of evolution. Fossils from Oregon, acquired largely on student field trips over the past three decades, have been collected within a modern geological framework and with benefit of accurate topographic maps and GPS technology. Photography by Joseph Davis. Images © UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Production of this gallery was generously supported by The Ford Family Foundation.

Image Gallery

Image

Clam, side one

Clam, side one Venericardia aragonia Glide, Oregon. Lookingglass Formation Middle Eocene - Specimen #P67686B

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Clam, side one
Venericardia aragonia
Glide, Oregon. Lookingglass Formation
Middle Eocene - Specimen #P67686B

Image

Clam, side two

Clam, side two Venericardia aragonia Glide, Oregon. Lookingglass Formation Middle Eocene - Specimen #P67686B

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Clam, side two
Venericardia aragonia
Glide, Oregon. Lookingglass Formation
Middle Eocene - Specimen #P67686B

Image

Crab in nodule

Crab in nodule Pinnixia eocenica Sunset Bay, Oregon, Coaledo Formation Middle Eocene - Specimen #P6781A-B

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Crab in nodule
Pinnixia eocenica
Sunset Bay, Oregon, Coaledo Formation
Middle Eocene - Specimen #P6781A-B

Image

Ammonites and bivalves

Ammonites and bivalves Discotropites sengeli and Halobia cordillerana Suplee, Oregon. Brisbois member, Vester Formation Late Triassic - Specimen #P6843

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Ammonites and bivalves
Discotropites sengeli and Halobia cordillerana
Suplee, Oregon. Brisbois member, Vester Formation
Late Triassic - Specimen #P6843

Image

Ammonite

Ammonite Sonninia washburnensis Suplee, Oregon, Weberg mamber, Snowshoe Formation Middle Jurassic - Specimen #P8558

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Ammonite
Sonninia washburnensis
Suplee, Oregon, Weberg mamber, Snowshoe Formation
Middle Jurassic - Specimen #P8558

Image

Starfish

Starfish Ophiocrossota baconi Shore Acres, Oregon, Coaledo Formation Middle Eocene - Specimen #P9501

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Starfish
Ophiocrossota baconi
Shore Acres, Oregon, Coaledo Formation
Middle Eocene - Specimen #P9501

Image

Nautiloid, side one

Nautiloid, side one Aturia kerniana Sunset Bay, Oregon, Coaledo Formation Middle Eocene - Specimen #P9546

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Nautiloid, side one
Aturia kerniana
Sunset Bay, Oregon, Coaledo Formation
Middle Eocene - Specimen #P9546

Image

Nautiloid, side two

Nautiloid, side two Aturia kerniana Sunset Bay, Oregon, Coaledo Formation Middle Eocene - Specimen #P9546

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Nautiloid, side two
Aturia kerniana
Sunset Bay, Oregon, Coaledo Formation
Middle Eocene - Specimen #P9546

Image

Fig leaf

Fig leaf "Ficus" quisimbingi Goshen, Oregon. Fisher Formation Late Eocene - Specimen #P10030

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Fig leaf
"Ficus" quisimbingi
Goshen, Oregon. Fisher Formation
Late Eocene - Specimen #P10030

Image

Tabulate coral

Tabulate coral Thamnopora cervicornis Birdsong Hill, Oregon Birdsong Hill Limestone Middle Devonian - Specimen #P10773A

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Tabulate coral
Thamnopora cervicornis
Birdsong Hill, Oregon Birdsong Hill Limestone
Middle Devonian - Specimen #P10773A

Image

Palm leaf

Palm leaf Sabalites eocenica Arbuckle Mountain, Oregon, Herren Formation Paleocene - Specimen #10854A

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Palm leaf
Sabalites eocenica
Arbuckle Mountain, Oregon, Herren Formation
Paleocene - Specimen #10854A

Image

Fern leaf, part one

Fern leaf, part one Pecopteris paulinensis Paulina, Oregon, Spotted Ridge Formation Pennsylvanian - Specimen #P11027A

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Fern leaf, part one
Pecopteris paulinensis
Paulina, Oregon, Spotted Ridge Formation
Pennsylvanian - Specimen #P11027A

Image

Fern leaf, part two

Fern leaf, part two Pecopteris paulinensis Paulina, Oregon, Spotted Ridge Formation Pennsylvanian - Specimen #P11027A

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Fern leaf, part two
Pecopteris paulinensis
Paulina, Oregon, Spotted Ridge Formation
Pennsylvanian - Specimen #P11027A

Image

Mudminnow

Mudminnow Novumbra oregonensis Fossil, Oregon, John Day Formation Oligocene - Specimen #P11433A

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Mudminnow
Novumbra oregonensis
Fossil, Oregon, John Day Formation
Oligocene - Specimen #P11433A

Image

Silicified brachiopods

Silicified brachiopods Echinoconchus inexpectans Paulina, Oregon Coyote Butte Formation Early Permian - Specimen #P12645

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Silicified brachiopods
Echinoconchus inexpectans
Paulina, Oregon Coyote Butte Formation
Early Permian - Specimen #P12645

Image

Cycadeoid leaf

Cycadeoid leaf Zamites buchianus Rocky Point, Oregon, Rocky Point Formation Early Cretaceous - Specimen #P13438

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Cycadeoid leaf
Zamites buchianus
Rocky Point, Oregon, Rocky Point Formation
Early Cretaceous - Specimen #P13438

Image

Leaf

Leaf Castanea basidentata Disston, Oregon, Little Butte Volcanics Early Miocene - Specimen #P13694

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Leaf
Castanea basidentata
Disston, Oregon, Little Butte Volcanics
Early Miocene - Specimen #P13694

Image

Sand dollar

Sand dollar Eoscutella coosensis Cape Arago, Oregon Coaledo Formation Middle Eocene - Specimen #P14169A

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Sand dollar
Eoscutella coosensis
Cape Arago, Oregon Coaledo Formation
Middle Eocene - Specimen #P14169A

Image

Large brachiopod

Large brachiopod Striatifera striata Paulina, Oregon, Coffee Creek Formation Mississippian - Specimen #P14159

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Large brachiopod
Striatifera striata
Paulina, Oregon, Coffee Creek Formation
Mississippian - Specimen #P14159

Collections Galleries

Bird, snake, lizards, and fish, Yirrkalla, Arnhem Land 30.5" x 17.75", Cat. No. 6-36

Aboriginal Australian Bark Paintings

Goniatite detail, Muensteroceras oweni, Rockford, Indiana, Rockford Formation, Mississippian (Kinderhookian) - Specimen #P6372A

Ammonite Fossils

Cebus sp. Capuchin

University of Oregon Comparative Primate Collection

7-38

Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus - 37.54 x 27.98 mm

Bighorn sheep, anterior view of different specimen

Vertebrate Skulls

See all collections galleries

Collections Access

The Museum encourages the use of its collections for research, educational, and artistic purposes, through loans, exhibits, tours, class visits, and hosting visiting researchers.

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