Geology: searchable databases

Searchable databases are now available for all geological time periods. Together, these give details of all catalogued material in the geological collections, a total of nearly 200,000 specimens. There is also a separate database of type, figured and cited specimens.

The databases and details of how to search them are outlined below.

Search type, figured and cited specimens
Over 13,000 records, including material from Buckland, Lyell and Phillips
Search the Holocene
Specimens from the Holocene epoch, 10,000 years ago - present
Search the Pleistocene
Specimens from the Pleistocene epoch, 1.8 million - 10,000 years ago
Search the Pliocene
Specimens from the Pliocene epoch, 5.3 - 1.8 million years ago
Search the Miocene
Specimens from the Miocene epoch, 23.0 - 5.3 million years ago
Search the Oligocene
Specimens from the Oligocene epoch, 33.9 - 23.0 million years ago
Search the Palaeocene and Eocene
Specimens from the Palaeocene and Eocene epochs, 65.5 - 33.9 million years ago
Search the Cretaceous
Specimens from the Cretaceous period, 145.5 - 65.5 million years ago
Search the Jurassic
Specimens from the Jurassic period, 199 - 145.5 million years ago
Search the Triassic
Specimens from the Triassic period, 251 - 199 million years ago
Search the Permian
Specimens from the Permian period, 299 - 251 million years ago
Search the Carboniferous
Specimens from the Carboniferous period, 359 - 299 million years ago
Search the Devonian
Specimens from the Devonian period, 416 - 359 million years ago
Search the Silurian
Specimens from the Silurian period, 443 - 416 million years ago
Search the Ordovician
Specimens from the Ordovician period, 448 - 443 million years ago
Search the Precambrian and Cambrian
Specimens from the Precambrian and Cambrian periods, 3,500 - 448 million years ago
How to use the databases
A guide to searching the databases

Enquiries regarding the collections should be sent to: geology@oum.ox.ac.uk