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UC Davis Paleontology Collection
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Smilodon skeleton
UC Davis Paleontology Collection

A window into the past Preserved for the future

Located in the Earth and Physical Sciences Building, the UC Davis fossil collection includes thousands of specimens ranging from the Paleoproterozoic (1.8 billion years ago) to the late Pleistocene (40,000 years ago). Our teaching collection is used for undergraduate courses including Geobiology (GEL 053) and Paleobiology Lab (GEL 107L), as well as outreach events such as Biodiversity Day and Picnic Day.

Latest News

Assistant Curator Val Syverson shows fossils to the public at Birch Lane Elementary

Fossil Collection Participates at Elementary School Science Nights

  • by David A Gold
  • March 12, 2026

The Fossil Collection participated in multiple "science nights" over the last few weeks, including Pioneer Elementary School on March 4th and Birch Lane Elementary on March 10th. It was a pleasure sharing some of our collection with hundreds of students. Is your Yolo County school doing a science night? Feel free to contact us.

A T. rex skull fossil in the foreground with a crowd at a table displaying various artifacts.

BioDiv Day 26: A Record-Breaking Success!

  • by David A Gold
  • March 02, 2026

UC Davis Biodiversity Day 2026 has come and gone, and it was a huge success! Over 1,100 visitors came over four hours to view the collection, with lines out the door the whole time. Thank you to Nick Thurber for spearheading the event, along with 30 gradaute and undergraduate volunteers, including: Eduardo Alatorre-Acevedo, Tessa Brunoir, Gwyn Chilcoat, Liuliu Gould, Christopher Mulligan, Sarah King, and Julia Walker.

6/25/2025 UC Davis Young Scholars Program visit, image 0

UCD Young Scholars Program visits the collection

  • by David A Gold
  • June 27, 2025

Dr. Gold introduced a wonderful group of students to the field of paleontology as part of the UC Davis Young Scholars Program. This Program is a 6-week summer residential research program for high school juniors and seniors. The goal of the program is to introduce students from all backgrounds to university level research and a mentored experience to university life. 

Sabertooth cat skulls

Newly reconstructed sabertooth cats join the collection

  • by David A Gold
  • March 13, 2025

A huge thanks to paleoartist Elio Oregel for his work reconstructing our sabertooth cat (Smilodon) skulls. The skull on the left is a real fossil from the La Brea Tar Pits, now with a replica saber tooth. You can see both of these skulls at our outreach events, and you can learn more about Elio on Instragram @el_es_elio

Dire_Wolf

5 Fun Finds in the UC Davis Paleontology Collection

  • by David A Gold
  • March 06, 2025

UC Davis' Letters & Sciences Magazine recently published a profile on the fossil collection, including a listicle of five fossils in our collection. You can read the article here.

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Archived Events

Sea lion fossil

Biodiversity Museum Day 2025

Feb 21, 2026
Earth & Physical Sciences Building
trilobite fossils

STEM for Girls

May 17, 2025
Earth & Physical Sciences Building
Picnic Day

Picnic Day

Apr 12, 2025
Earth & Physical Sciences Building
trilobite fossils

Stay Updated

Join our mailing list and learn about opportunities and events

If you have any issues, send an email to [email protected]. The subject should read "Subscribe fossils firstname lastname" replacing firstname/lastname with your actual name. Make sure the text of the email is blank, and that you remove any signature from the message.

leaf fossil

Explore the Collection

Take classes

The following courses currently use the fossil collection:

  • GEL 107L: Paleobiology Lab
  • GEL 053: Geobiology
  • GEL 198: Informal STEM Teaching: From Museums to Classrooms

Check out the course catalogue to see when these classes are being offered.

Come to our events

The UC Davis Paleontology Collection participates annually in Biodiversity Museum Day and Picnic Day. Check the events calendar to see when our next event is.

erypterid

Donate

Have fossils looking for a home?

Contact Dr. Gold to discuss your options.

He will help determine if the UC Davis paleontology collection is a good place for your samples, and if not, suggest other collections. Funds help us expand the connection, build more public-facing displays, and provide student support. Please consider making a donation to support the collection.

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  • Last update: April 3, 2026

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