| Name | Natural Science Museum of Barcelona |
| Subunits name | Paleontology Department |
| Acronym(s) | MCNB-MGB-PAL |
| Institution type | Museum |
| Description | In 1891, the Barcelona Geology Museum, then the Martorell Museum, acquired its first significant paleontology collection from the Paris dealer, F. Pisani. Most of the specimens in the collection had been classified by M. Baron and other renowned French paleontologists, such as M. Cossmann.
It was not long before further material was added, the result of samples collected during the compilation of the Geological Map of Catalonia (Almera collection), the headquarters for which were established at the Museum. Monographic reviews by specialists such as J. Lambert, G. de Angelis d'Ossat, P. Fallot, and F. Blanchet led to a significant increase in the type and figured specimens. The bulk of the material was added during the first third of the 20th century and completed through purchases from abroad as well as from collecting and excavating activities of Museum technicians. The Museum's current register of the general paleontology collection was begun in 1922 with the donation of the LluÃs Marià Vidal Collection. The present paleontology collection has 59,473 registry entries, not including the collection of Villalta that is registered separately. Other important collections have been added to the general collection in recent decades. Those that stand out for their variety and number of specimens include collections created by Professor José F. de Villalta and collaborators, Martà Madern's collection of plants from the Oligocene of Catalonia, and Campreciós and Gurrea collections, partially registered in 1995 and 2009, respectively. Other collections that are notable for their number of specimens, taxonomic diversity, geographical location, geological age, scientific value and museographic quality are currently pending acceptance. |
| Address | Parc de la Ciutadella |
| Postal code | 08003 |
| City | Barcelona |
| State/region | Catalunya |
| Country | Spain |
| Telephone | +34 93 256 22 22 |
| Fax | +34 93 310 49 99 |
| museuciencies@bcn.cat | |
| Logo |  |
| Website | https://museuciencies.cat/area-cientifica/departaments-cientifics/paleontologia/ |
