Paleobotany Collections

The Paleobotany Department was begun at the Museum in 1980. The collection is composed of about 30,000 plant fossil specimens.

The Hoskins Collections was acquired from the University of Cincinnati. It contains approximately 25,000 individual pieces, or 16,515 specimens. Complete identification and study of this collection is ongoing.

The Hoskins Collection contains specimens from two other collections: the 360 piece Abbott Collection and the 1,019 piece Beckman Collection.

In 1968, the Museum's Mineralogy Department acquired the Zimmerman Collection. Approximately 1,000 specimens were identified as plant fossils, most of which were collected in the western United States. Several pieces of petrified wood have been opalized.

The Paleobotany Department also houses 994 coal balls, which are principally of Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) bituminous and anthracite coals. The processes leading to coal-ball formation are still poorly understood, and they don’t stay together very well. The Paleobotany Department developed a technique for preserving coal balls that prevents their degradation and allows them to be sliced and studied.

In addition, there are more than 5,800 microslides and 3,500 peels. Many of the specimens have been photographed. TEM and SEM photographs of several specimens and their spores are available.

We are also the repository for the Kremp Collection which contains over 11,000 reprints relating to Palynology and includes original raw data, photographic negatives, plates, books and research notes. The entire Kremp Collection is available for research but please note, many of the reprints are in Russian, Chinese and German.

For additional information or to arrange a visit

Researchers should contact Dr. Chitaley at (216) 231-4600 ext. 3226 or schitale@cmnh.org.