Contact and enquiries

The Palaeontology Department Enquiry Service is currently closed whilst the Enquiries Service for the Museum is reorganised. The Service will resume when the Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity opens in the new Darwin Centre in September 2009. Regrettably we are therefore unable to respond to e-mail, telephone, postal or other enquiries, except for professional scientific and research enquiries.

Professional scientific and academic research enquiries

For research please contact the relevant member of staff directly or the relevant Head of group as listed in the Palaeontology staff directory 

Public enquiries

The Department of Palaeontology is currently unable to deal with any further enquiries until the new museum-wide enquiries service is opened in the Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity which is scheduled to open in September 2009. Outstanding enquiries are currently being dealt with and will be returned as soon as possible. If you have any questions regarding an outstanding enquiry then please contact us by email

 Identify your fossils at the Museum

If during your visit to the museum you would like to try identifying your fossils yourself then please visit the Earth Lab. Earth Lab is situated on the first floor of the Earth Galleries. Here you will find comparative collections of British fossils and Minerals. Keen amateurs can use the reference material provided to identify their specimens, or simply learn more about the geological history of the British Isles. 

Opening times: 12pm - 5pm, Mon - Sun.

Local Museums

You could also try visiting your local museum who can assist you in answering your enquiries. For further details please look at the Geological Curator’s group website where you can find details of a geological museum close to you.

Thank you for your patience.

Head of Collections

Dr Sarah L. Long
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7942 55712

Head of Department, Keeper of Palaeontology

Dr Norman MacLeod
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7942 5295

Associate Keeper, Head of Research Division

Dr Angela Milner
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7942 5028

Head of Conservation

Chris Collins
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7942 5039

Head of Invertebrates & Plants Curation

Dr Martin Munt
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7942 5558

Head of Vertebrates, Anthropology & Micropalaeontology

Dr Martha Richter
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7942 6008