University Cultural CollectionsTangible Evidence of Knowledge
Plant Fossil Collection
Our Biological Sciences discipline houses a large collection of plant fossils – more than 10,000 specimens. Most fossils are Cenozoic in age, meaning they were formed after the major extinction event about 65 million years ago, when all dinosaurs, apart from birds, became extinct. The collection is dominated by fossils from 10 sites ranging in age from around 40 million to a few thousand years old.
Most source sites are in Tasmania, but there are important collections from Victoria and New Zealand. The fossils are of leaves, with some flowers and fruit, but there are parallel collections of fossil pollen from the same sites held in Canberra and elsewhere. The collections are also closely linked to similar fossil collections held at the University of Adelaide and the University of Otago. The fossils at University of Tasmania (and their sister collections) are important because they include many fossils with high quality organic preservation, enabling the study of cell detail.
Established in 1983, the collection continues to be primarily used for research. Materials within the collection are occasionally used for teaching and in film, documentaries and art projects.
The collection is not open to the public. Researchers wishing to view the collection can contact Associate Professor Greg Jordan to visit by agreement.
Contact us
Associate Professor, Greg Jordan
T +61 3 6226 7237
Biological Sciences Building, Sandy Bay Campus, Hobart.