Natural History Collection November 7, 2008

These collections are the oldest collections of the Museum. They cover 11 subcategories of geological and zoological materials (including substantial holdings in geology, malacology, ornithology study skins and alcohol-preserved specimens) and a collection of historically valuable glass lantern slides. Specimens are distributed among 55,198 specimen lots. Notable collection holdings include historic rock samples from New Jersey's iron, copper, zinc, clay and sand industries, specimens from the Ellisdale site (the first definitive Cretaceous mammals in eastern North America), Paleozoic fossils of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Cretaceous/Tertiary fossils, the Anderson Collection of New Jersey amphibians and reptiles, fluorescent minerals from the Franklin/Sterling Hill ore bodies, the Kurtz collection of New Jersey bird skins, and several hundred fossil Types. The Museum is the only accredited, non-university aligned institution in New Jersey engaged in active scientific research.