Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France

[LordTrilobite]

The National museum of Natural History in Paris, France is absolutely fantastic and anyone with even a passing interest in palaeontology or the natural world should have visited this museum at least once in their lives. It's truly a sight to behold.

The museum consists of three buildings and a botanical garden. The first building is the Great Gallery of Evolution. This contains a vast array of stuffed animals. they also have a few specimens of extinct animals like the Quagga and the Tasmanian Wolf.

Deep sea creatures

Tasmanian Wolf or Thylacinus cynocephalus

Equus quagga quagga

There is a lot more to see in this gallery but I don't have many more interesting pictures. The second building is the Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology. But I haven't actually entered this building, so I don't have any pictures of it.

What makes this museum complex really special though, is the Gallery of Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy. Photos do not do it justice by a long shot, you need to see it for yourself. To begin with, the hall has wonderful architecture and is really well lit. This is where they keep all the skeletons and fossils. The ground floor contains skeletons of modern animals. The thing is, that there are hundreds of skeletons there to see. This is the best place for studying comparative anatomy.

A really cool half Elephant's skull so you can see inside.

And now on to fossils...

Edited November 29, 2015 by LordTrilobite

[LordTrilobite]

Now on to the second floor. Here we have all the fossils of the museum roughly arranged according to age. It starts with Bony fish and early reptiles in the front Palaeozoïc. towards the middle there are several dinosaurs and other reptiles of the Mesozoïc and in the back stand the giants of the Tertiary. The cabinets on the sides and balconies hold the smaller specimens and invertebrates. The layout is nice as you can view many specimens from pretty much all angles, the hall's architecture is wonderful but doesn't get in the way of enjoying the fossils and the lighting makes for excelent viewing and photography. They also have quite a few type specimens here on display.

We'll start in the Palaeozoïc.

Apex predetor of it's day, Dunkleosteus terrelli

Eryops

Pareiasaurus

Lystrosaurus

Eurypterus remipes

Ancestors of the horseshoecrab

Edited November 29, 2015 by LordTrilobite

[LordTrilobite]

Now we move on to the Mesozoïc period, the age of ruling reptiles.

Steneosaurus

Cryptoclidus

Small mosasaur. Platecarpus coryphaeus

The three large dinosaur skeletons are still in their victorian tail-dragging-kangaroo posture but they still make for some impressive mounts and are relics of times past in more ways than one.

Iguanodon bernissartensis

Diplodocus carnegii

One of the Carnagie copies of "Dippy"

Allosaurus fragillis

A cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull.

Edited November 29, 2015 by LordTrilobite

[LordTrilobite]

We continue in the Mesozoïc...

Triceratops skull

Model of Dromaeosaurus albertensis

Model of Compsonathus longipes

The holotype of Sarcosuchus imperator.

A large half Ammonite.

Not a Mesozoïc dinosaur, but a more recent one. The Dodo!

Raphus cucullatus

Edited November 29, 2015 by LordTrilobite

[isurus90064]

Thanks LordTrilobite, great pics!!! the old part of this museum, of which there are quite a few pics here is something of a timewarp. Transports you back to the 'victorian age' of museums.

Edited November 29, 2015 by isurus90064

[LordTrilobite]

Here one of my favourites, the Woolly Rhino.

Coelodonta antiquitatis

I think this was the Etruscan Rhino, but I'm not entirely sure.

Megaloceros giganteus, one of the largest known deer, also known as the Irish Elk. Though it's not exclusive to Ireland, nor is it an Elk.

The Imperial Mammoth, the largest Mammoth known. It's absolutely gigantic. Next to it there is the much smaller Woolly Mammoth which is about the size of morden Elephants.

Mammuthus imperator

Holy mammoth mummies! They actually have parts of Woolly Mammoth mummies here, a foot that still has some hair on it as well as a partial face with the eyelids and ear still intact.

Mammuthus primigenius

The Sabretoothed cat everyone is familiar with.

Smilodon.

A cast of Lucy.

Australopithecus afarensis

Edited November 29, 2015 by LordTrilobite

[LordTrilobite]

A tank of a beast. The Glyptodon.

Megatherium, the giant Ground Sloth.

Scelidotherium leptocephalum

Cast of Uintatherium anceps

A Mastodon I think, forgot which.

Diprotodon australis

Edited November 29, 2015 by LordTrilobite

[LordTrilobite]

And lastly, the holotype of Mosasaurus hoffmanni. Maybe one of the most important palaeontological finds in history as it helped solidify the idea that animals could actually go extinct. It was found in near Maastricht in the Netherlands and later stolen by Napoleon and taken to the Natural History Museum in Paris where it resides to this day.

Only recently did it temporarily return to the Netherlands, if only for a short time. Now it's back in Paris again.

Also, the Paris museum is better than London. :3

Edited November 29, 2015 by LordTrilobite

[Auspex]

Wow! They know how to do it, don't they?

Isn't their Diplodocus one of the Carnagie gifts?

[Mike Pocock]

Thanks for the images, fantastic museum with superb specimens.

Auspex When would it be possible to place the "Museum's of the world" heading in the categories section, or I think that the individual posts will get lost with no central area to view them in.

Regards

Mike

PS don't mean to be pushy

[Troodon]

Outstanding, good job with the pictures. Some of the images are familiar when I do a Google search. Very classy place.

[DE&i]

Fantastic report I've wanted to pay a visit for many year's.... I'm not sure when but definitely will.

[isurus90064]

Once again, beautiful photo reportage .. thanks!

[Auspex]

...Auspex When would it be possible to place the "Museum's of the world" heading in the categories section...

I'm not sure I understand; they are in their own forum now.

[ZiggieCie]

Thanks for the images, fantastic museum with superb specimens.

Auspex When would it be possible to place the "Museum's of the world" heading in the categories section, or I think that the individual posts will get lost with no central area to view them in.

Regards

Mike

PS don't mean to be pushy

Mike, the new heading is "" A trip to the Museum"" It's up top right under Gallery. Takes you to the new heading.

Edited November 29, 2015 by ZiggieCie

[abyssunder]

Incredible but real!
...and Lucy... in the sky with diamonds

Thanks LordTrilobite for the tour.

[LordTrilobite]

Wow! They know how to do it, don't they?

Isn't their Diplodocus one of the Carnagie gifts?

Before looking it up I thought it was just London, but you're right. Aparently Paris, Berlin, Mexico City, Moscow, and London all have a copy.

[jpc]

Great pix. The Paris museum is one of my favorites. Sooooo much to see and all in a wonderful Victorian style.

[Mike Pocock]

Sorry Auspex, standard case of stupideius ignarainius

Regards
Mike

[Auspex]

...standard case of stupideius ignarainius...

Ah, a truly ancient species, with which we all share some DNA!

[PaleoWilliam]

Love the Eryops!