Scientific collections
Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen DresdenDepartment Museum of Mineralogy and Geology DresdenGeologic-Mineralogic Collections DresdenThe Museum for Mineralogy and Geology in Dresden is among the most significant museums in Germany with respect to research in the geosciences. The collections comprise about 400,000 minerals, fossils and stones. The fact that specimens in its collections were first mentioned in the year 1587 makes it the oldest geoscience institution in the world, and suggests an active developmental history. The collections include many type specimens (described for the first time) and originals (researched items) of fossils and minerals and stones.
Mineralogy Prof. Dr. Klaus Thalheim Petrography Dr. Jan-Michael Lange Paleozoology PD Dr. Markus Wilmsen Department Museum of Zoology DresdenZoological Collections The Museum of Zoology in Dresden, with more than 6 million animal specimens, is one of the approximately 10 large zoological collections of Germany. The Dresden collections originate from all over the globe, and their international significance is due not least to the abundance of types represented. In the beetle collection alone (2 million specimens) are name-bearing type specimens housed for some 13,500 taxa (species and subspecies). Especially noteworthy are the rich holdings of exterminated vertebrates — among them, for example, a skeleton of the giant sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas). Also outstanding are the collections of birds and weevils. Among the ca. 91,000 specimens in the ornithological collection, about 60% of the world's ca. 9000 bird species are represented. The weevil collection covers about 20,000 of the globally 65,000 species. In addition to classical zoological collections containing alcoholic specimens, skins, coats, and mounted specimens, an extensive and continually growing collection of tissue and blood samples for molecular-genetic studies is provided, currently with over 20,000 samples. Herpetology, Dr. Raffael Ernst Ornithology, Dr. Martin Päckert Coleoptera, Dr. Klaus-Dieter Klass Lepidoptera, Dr. Matthias Nuss |
