The collection Maryland Macrofossils consists of about 1500 specimens, representing over 200 species of fossils found in Maryland or in geological formations that extend beyond the State’s boundaries. Invertebrates – mollusks, brachiopods, trilobites, crinoids – comprise most of the collection, along with a few marine fish, reptile, and mammal artifacts (e.g., shark teeth, crocodile jaws, whale vertebrae) and plant fossils. Most of the fossil specimens were excavated or collected by former Survey employees. A small collection of plant fossils was discovered by a private citizen and donated to MGS. This collection has not been fully inventoried, cataloged or preserved. Limited metadata for 156 specimens is provided below. The [...]
Summary
The collection Maryland Macrofossils consists of about 1500 specimens, representing over 200 species of fossils found in Maryland or in geological formations that extend beyond the State’s boundaries. Invertebrates – mollusks, brachiopods, trilobites, crinoids – comprise most of the collection, along with a few marine fish, reptile, and mammal artifacts (e.g., shark teeth, crocodile jaws, whale vertebrae) and plant fossils. Most of the fossil specimens were excavated or collected by former Survey employees. A small collection of plant fossils was discovered by a private citizen and donated to MGS.
This collection has not been fully inventoried, cataloged or preserved. Limited metadata for 156 specimens is provided below. The geographic coordinates associated with the Survey’s macrofossil specimens in the metadata reported to the National Digital Catalog identify the centroid of the county in which a fossil-collecting site is located, or, if the county is unknown, the centroid of the state. A limited number of fossils are exhibited in the library of the Survey’s main building in Baltimore. Fossils are primarily stored in storage cabinets in an annex basement room and in cardboard box(es) in the annex storage area.
The collection may be used and removed from the Survey building only by MGS staff for educational purposes and research. The collection may be viewed at the Survey by others. Please contact MGS for more information (410-554-5500).
Purpose
It is used primarily for educational purposes, there being no paleontologist currently on staff. A limited number of fossils are exhibited in the library of the Survey’s main building in Baltimore.
