Behind the Scenes:Geology Collection

The Geology Collections at the Illinois State Museum include minerals, rocks, meteorites, and fossils. Some of these materials were acquired in 1851. Today, the Geology Collection is vast and growing. The three objects shown here are representative examples of the entire collection.

Jaguar Track

Panthera onca augusta,
Jaguar Track
Pleistocene Epoch (1.7 million- 11,000 years ago)

The foot print, part of a track way, is a trace fossil, a type of fossil that also includes burrows, coprolites, and claw or tooth marks. It comes from a site in the Missouri Ozarks. The most notable Ice Age fossil material from this region of the Midwest is in our collection.

Trilobite

Calymene celebra, Trilobite
Silurian Period (410-440 million years ago)

The trilobite is a hard body fossil of a type of invertebrate animal that was previously common in Illinois. It is from a period when Illinois was covered by shallow seas. The trilobite and other ancient marine creatures of its time are well represented in the collections.

Meteorite

Tilden Meteorite

The Tilden Meteorite is representative of the Museum's meteorite collection. The story of its fall and discovery in three Illinois counties conveys the interest and mystery surrounding these "extraterrestrial visitors."