Paleontology Gallery

Explore fascinating fossils collected from sites across Texas that date from the Cambrian Period (starting 539 million years ago) through the Pleistocene Epoch (ending 11,700 years ago).

Each specimen offers a glimpse into deep time, helping us understand the ancient environments that were home to the rich diversity of life that flourished in Texas for thousands or millions of years.

From the 30-foot Onion Creek mosasaur to the Shoal Creek plesiosaur, a giant ground sloth to a scimitar-toothed cat, the fossils on display include outstanding specimens and full skeletons that reveal the shapes, sizes and lifestyles of extinct animals. Some specimens are historically and scientifically important, and others also show a rare type of preservation. Most importantly, the majority of the specimens you see here are the real thing—actual fossils, not replicas. The museum is proud to share these precious resources with visitors, bringing the ancient past to life in extraordinary detail.

Don't Miss

Marvel at the tall spines on the back of Dimetrodon, an ancient relative of mammals that roamed north-central Texas 275 million years ago.