A Visit to the Academia das Ciências de Lisboa Museu Geológico in Portugal

After returning from the Academia das Ciências de Lisboa Museu Geológico in Lisbon, Portugal in August of 2026, this post is about that visit. My trip began walking from the hotel near to the waterfront to Lisbon Academy of Sciences which house this museum. The Academy was founded in 1779 and has been located at the former Convent of Our Lady of Jesus of the Third Order of San Franscisco (Rua da Academia das Ciências, no. 19) since 1834. The museum was created in 1859 and still retains furniture and interior design from that time period.

Six collections make up the museum: archeology, stratigraphy, paleontology, scientific instruments, mineralogy, and lithology. Five permanent exhibits are located there: 27 geological wonders, 100 millions years of Lisbon history, fossils of the past, Portugal before man, and Portugese Prehistory.

Archeology Room

 

Mineral Room

This aragonite mineral specimen from a pyrite mine in Preguica (Alentejo) looks like a coral. It was formed by calcium carbonate precipitation forming this stalactite.

 

Their crown jewel fossil is of a Portuguese stegosaurus Miragaia longicollum from Atouguia da Baleia, Peniche. Collected in 1958-59 by Geoges Zbyszewski (1909-1999). The specimen on display contains original fossil, casts, and 3D printed parts. The dinosaur lived in the Late Jurassic Period.

 This image is of a Roman bronze plate from the 1st century A.D. It was found in 1876 in a mine at Algares. The plate is Roman legislation listing the rules for public baths, proclamations, and payments to workers.

Paleontology Room

The fossil room has an extensive collection of Portuguese fossils from all of its geological time periods. The wall cabinets hold more specimens in labeled plastic bags. I would assume more fossils are stored below the display cabinets.

One stand out fossils was a super crocodile skull fossil Gavialosuchus americanus lusitanicus (Stellards). It was found Chelas (east of Lisbon) and lived about 15 mya (Miocene Epoch). Learn more at their website.

One treat was the view at the end of fossil room that had a small balcony. It had a lot of potted plants but one could see out over the city from the window. 

My visit was enjoyable and I got quite a bit of exercise walking the hilly route to and from the museum. Hopefully, future posts will highlight some of the more geological treasures on display there.

 

https://www.lneg.pt/en/geological-museum/ 

 

 

 

Redwood Fossil

 

Here are pictures of a piece of petrified redwood found in Wahoe County, Nevada USA. It dates to the Miocene Epoch of the Neogene Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture. Fossil collected in 2024. 

Cyperus Plant Fossil

This image is of a Cyperus sp. plant fossil. The plant existed in the Miocene Epoch. Fossil was discovered in the village of Prata of the Grosseto province in Italy.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024. 

Septatraea geometrica Coral Fossil

 

This image is of Septatraea geometrica coral fossil. It was found in Italy and dates to the Miocene Epoch.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

 

Carcharodon hubelli Fossil Shark Teeth

This image is of some fossil teeth of the extinct White shark aka Carcharodon hubelli (Ehret, 2012) on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Miocene Epoch (about 5-15 million years ago) of the Neogene Period. The fossils were found in the rivers of South Carolina USA.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Carcharodon carcharias Fossil Shark Teeth

This image is of some fossil teeth of the Great White shark aka Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Miocene Epoch (about 5-15 million years ago) of the Neogene Period. The fossils were found in Peru, South America. 

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Isurus hastalis Shark Teeth Fossils

This image is of some fossil teeth of the Mako shark aka Isurus hastalis (Agassiz, 1843) on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Miocene Epoch (about 5-15 million years ago) of the Neogene Period. The fossils were found in rivers of South Carolina (S.C.), Ridgeville, S.C. and Aurora North Carolina, USA. It appears the genus was renamed in 2021 to Cosmopolitodus (Glikman, 1964) an extinct mackerel shark.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Isurus planus Shark Teeth Fossil

This image is of some fossil teeth of the Mako shark aka Isurus planus (Agassiz, 1856) on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Miocene Epoch (about 15 million years ago) of the Neogene Period. The fossils were found in Brown Mountain slit layer of Bakersfield, California USA. It appears the genus was renamed in 2021 to Cosmopolitodus (Glikman, 1964) an extinct mackerel shark.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/

Acer Maple Leaf Fossils

 

Oh, Canada. Today's post is Canada's national symbol showing pictures of  maple leaves plant fossils called Acer sp. (Linnaeus). These plant fossils date to the Oligocene Epoch (33.7-23.8 million years ago). They were found in the state of Oregon, USA. 

The fossils were on display in the Evolving Planet section of The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago Illinois, USA as of August 2020. 

These fossils were only identified by their genus name. The name Acer is attributed to Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) the Swedish botanist and "father of taxonomy" who used the common Latin name for maple trees. The name was derived from Indo-European origins meaning "sharp". I believe he named it in Systema Naturae 1758 part 8.

References:

https://www.fnps.org/assets/pdf/palmetto/v13i4p8austin.pdf

https://ebrary.net/27999/environment/maple

https://earthlingnature.wordpress.com/2018/07/30/the-history-of-systematics-plants-in-systema-naturae-1758-part-8/

Quercus simulata Leaf Fossil

 Above is a picture of an oak leaf plant fossil called Quercus simulata (Knowlton, 1898). This plant fossil dates to the Miocene Epoch (23.8-5.3 million years ago). It was found in the state of Washington, USA. While not listed, it possible this specimen is from the Latah Formation.

The fossil was on display in the Evolving Planet section of The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago Illinois, USA as of August 2020. Accession number is P22229. They have a nice collection of plant fossils on display.

This type of leaf specimen was described by Frank Hall Knowlton (1860-1926) in the U. S. Geological Survey Eighteenth Annual Report., Part. 3, page 728, plate 101, figures. 3,4; plate. 102, figures 1, 2 1898 in the Payette formation of Idaho.

Knowlton later identified in the Latah formation of Washington in U. S. Geological Survey Prof. Paper 140, page 38, plate 22 figures 3, 4, 1926. See leaf image from figure 3 below.

Source A Revision of the Flora of the Latah Formation by Edward Wilber Berry.

https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0154h/report.pdf

Isurus planus Shark Teeth Fossils

Here are some images of Isurus planus shark teeth fossils. The Isurus is also known Mako sharks. Fossils were found from Shark Tooth Hill, California, USA. The sharks existed in Miocene Epoch.

Anadara Pelecypod Fossil

This image is of an Anadara sp. pelecypod fossil. The fossil appears to be made of plaster/gypsum/calcium sulfate and in a translucent form. The creature existed in the Miocene Epoch of the Neogene Period. Fossil was discovered in the Sahara Desert at Ajdabiya, Libya.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) on August 2019. Specimen donated by Dr. P. Vannocci.

Libyan Strombus Gastropod Fossil

This image is of a Strombus sp. gastropod fossil. The fossil appears to be made of plaster/gypsum/calcium sulfate and in a translucent form. The creature existed in the Miocene Epoch of the Neogene Period. Fossil was discovered in the Sahara Desert at Ajdabiya, Libya.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) on August 2019. Specimen donated by Dr. P. Vannocci.

Translucent Pelecypod Fossil

This image is of a Lucinoma sp. pelecypod fossil. The fossil appears to be made of plaster/gypsum/calcium sulfate and in a translucent form. The creature existed in the Miocene Epoch of the Neogene Period. Fossil was discovered in the Sahara Desert at Ajdabiya, Libya.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) on August 2019. Specimen donated by Dr. P. Vannocci.

Translucent Fossil From Libya

This image is of a Glycymeris sp. pelecypod fossil. The fossil appears to be made of plaster/gypsum/calcium sulfate and in a translucent form. The creature existed in the Miocene Epoch of the Neogene Period. Fossil was discovered in the Sahara Desert at Ajdabiya, Libya. Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) on August 2019. Specimen donated by Dr. P. Vannocci.

Pecten aduncus Pelecypod Fossil

This image is of a Pecten aduncus pelecypod fossil. The creature existed in the Miocene Epoch of the Neogene Period. Fossil was discovered at Torino, Piemonte, Italy. Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) on August 2019.

Tripneustes parkinsoni Sand Dollar Fossil

Tripneustes parkinsoni echinoid fossil on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019. The fossil was found in France. It dates to the lower Miocene Epoch (20 million years ago).

Campanile cornucopiae Gastropod Fossil

Campanile cornucopiae gastropod fossil on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019. The fossil was found in France. It dates to the middle Miocene Epoch (45 million years ago).

Gigantopecten latissimus Bivalve Fossil

Gigantopecten latissimus pelecypod fossil on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019. The fossil was found in France. It dates to the lower Miocene Epoch (20 million years ago).

Montastrea Coral Fossil

This image is of a Montastrea sp. coral fossil on display at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (August 2017). It dates to the Miocene Epoch (about 20 million years ago). The fossil was found in Miami, Florida USA.

The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History is located at the College of Charleston, 202 Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, Charleston, South Carolina 29424.

Learn more at their blog: http://blogs.cofc.edu/macebrownmuseum/