Where to find palaeontological facts and information
Caption: General audience (G) / Specialised (S)
🪳: entomology
🌿: palaeobotany
🦕: dinosaurs
🦣: mammals
🦑: cephalopods
Thanks to Amy Beauvois for having helped me put together this list of resources aimed at anyone interested in palaeontology.
We also invite you to contribute to this database if you think about any additional reliable source of information, whether it is for the general public or specialised crowds.
English resources
Scientific journals and platforms
(S) Researchgate is a platform (/social network) from which you can access the majority of published scientific articles, when an article is not available for download, you can directly write the author(s) a direct message (usually, they are happy to help so don’t be shy!). You can also follow researchers, and be notified when new research drops on a topic you are interested in : https://www.researchgate.net/
(S) Academia, similar to researchgate : https://www.academia.edu/
(S) Publications scientifiques du Muséum (publications of the Natural History Museum in Paris, France) : https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/fr
🦑(G/S) Ammonites et aliae spirae (ammonites identification, really good pics and thorough descriptions) : https://www.ammonites.org/
Forum(s)
🦕 (G/S) Website promoting palaeoart and its value for palaeontology, created by Karim Zanaty, who regularly organises seminars and social events online: https://extinctfineart.com
Youtube
🦕 (G/S) Thomas Holtz classes on vertebrate palaeontology, mass extinction, diversification events and evolution : https://www.youtube.com/@thomasrichardholtz9031
(G) PBS Eons : https://www.youtube.com/@eons
(G)Ancient Life : https://www.youtube.com/@AncientLife
(G/S) Russel Garwood’s classes in palaeontology, palaeobiology, geosciences, biology, evolution and others : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7TUe5w6RHo&t=646s
(G) Geogirl : https://www.youtube.com/@GEOGIRL
(G) Moth Light Media : https://www.youtube.com/@mothlightmedia1936
(G) Timelapse continental drift : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1OreyX0-fw
(S) Christopher Scotese (leader of the PALEOMAP project), tectonic plates theory and ancient times mapping : https://www.youtube.com/@cscotese
(S) Pal(a)eoPERCS (specialised conferences) : https://www.youtube.com/@paleopercs1131
🦕 (G) Your Dinosaurs Are Wrong https://www.youtube.com/@YourDinosaursAreWrong
(G) Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell :
🦕 palaeontology/dinosaurs playlist : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFs4vir_WsTzPHPJufbDcb-FzQ1__DVU_
Earth history in one hour, 1min = 1,5 million years : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7TUe5w6RHo&t=646s
Journals and scientific platforms
(S) Researchgate : https://www.researchgate.net/
(S) Paleontologia Electronica, free journal : https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/
🌿(S) Acta Palaeobotanica, free journal about palaeobotany : https://acpa.botany.pl/
🌿(S) Review of Paleobotany and Palynology: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/review-of-palaeobotany-and-palynology/vol/344/suppl/C
(G/S) Nature et Science, popular scientific journals, “sexy” topics, but some ethical issues content-wise (notably in palaeontology) https://www.nature.com/nature/research-articles ; https://www.science.org/toc/science/0/0
(S) Micropaleontology Journal ; Journal of Micropalaeontology : https://www.micropress.org/microaccess/micropaleontology ; https://www.journal-of-micropalaeontology.net/ ; https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/micropal
(S) Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology : https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/palaeogeography-palaeoclimatology-palaeoecology/issues
(S) Zootaxa : https://mapress.com/zt
(S) Mikrotax : https://www.mikrotax.org/Acritax/
🪳(S) Paleoentomology : https://mapress.com/pe
(S) Volumes of Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, numerous (ancient) visual references : https://journals.ku.edu/InvertebratePaleo/issue/archive
(S) Biodiversity Heritage Library (Database with numerous ancient sources hard to find elsewhere : https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
(S) James Lamsdell publications : https://jameslamsdell.com/publications
(G/S) DeepTime Maps, a website established by Colorado Plateau Geosystems Inc. producing palaeogeographical maps at several scales: worldwide, european, american, etc. the maps are all free of access : https://deeptimemaps.com/
World maps : https://deeptimemaps.com/map-lists-thumbnails/global-series/
Europe : https://deeptimemaps.com/map-lists-thumbnails/europe/
(American) Western interior seaway : https://deeptimemaps.com/map-lists-thumbnails/western-interior-seaway/
Great Permian sedimentary basin (Northern Pangea) : https://deeptimemaps.com/map-lists-thumbnails/greater-permian-basin/
North-America : https://deeptimemaps.com/map-lists-thumbnails/north-america/
Arctic regions : https://deeptimemaps.com/map-lists-thumbnails/arctic/
(G/S) PaleoBiology DataBase, database of fossil occurrences with visualizer on the worldmap : https://paleobiodb.org/#/
(S) Lifemap (simplified phylogenetic tree of all extant species, but some propositions are debatable) : Lifemap
Associations/Organisations
(S) Association of Materials & Methods in Paleontology : https://paleomethods.org/
(G/S) Phylopic (Website compiling all living and extinct organisms silhouettes, collaborative platform and free of charge graphics : https://www.phylopic.org/
🦕 (S) Society of Vertebrate Paleontology : https://vertpaleo.org/
🦕 (S)The Paleontological Society: https://www.paleosoc.org/
(G/S) Time Scavengers, inclusive association created for science communication and early career in palaeontology/geology people : https://timescavengers.org/
🦕 (S) European Association of Vertebrate Paleontology : https://eavp.org/
(G/S) International Commission on Stratigraphy : https://stratigraphy.org/chart/
Geological stages definition with link to scientific papers : https://stratigraphy.org/gssps/
Older versions and charts : https://stratigraphy.org/supplementary
Ressources en Français
Journaux et plateformes scientifiques
(S) Researchgate est une plateforme (/un réseau social) d’accès à la majorité des articles scientifiques publiés en sciences naturelles, quand les articles ne sont pas accessibles au téléchargement vous pouvez envoyer une demande à l’auteur.ice via message direct (en général vous aurez une réponse positive faut pas être timide). Vous pouvez aussi suivre directement les chercheurs ou être notifié.e de la sortie d’articles correspondant à vos centres d’intérêt : https://www.researchgate.net/
(S) Academia, similaire à researchgate : https://www.academia.edu/
(S) Publications scientifiques du Muséum (accessibilité variable mais publications en direct des personnes du MNHN) : https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/fr
🦑(G/S) Ammonites et aliae spirae (identification d’ammonites, excellentes photos et description très poussées) : https://www.ammonites.org/
Sites/forums
(G/S) Information on a wide array of vertebrate fossils, specifically french ones / Informations sur nombre de fossiles de vertébrés, notamment français: http://vertebresfossiles.free.fr/html/introduction.htm
(G/S) Lithothèque de Normandie (nombreuses images de fossiles) : https://lithotheque.fr/
(S) Lifemap (grand arbre phylogénétique simplifié des espèces actuelles, cependant nombreux râteaux et relations parfois débatables) : Lifemap
Youtube
(G/S) Simplex Paléo : https://www.youtube.com/@SimplexPaleo
Conférences d’intervenants externes : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMb6lEo1HgPqYd6zWxcLGyuWNLpKBgt5y
(G/S) Entracte Science : https://www.youtube.com/@StopScience
🦣 (S) Cours de paléontologie (animal principalement, spé mammifères) : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL06SW8j_fgXG4EhwVAOH88_QLOOKEYn0u
(S) Conférences de paléoneurologie : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL06SW8j_fgXF7hMkrUdLpDR68xJiDZxMb
(G) GÉOLogique (chaîne youtube de géologie et des principes de base en géosciences) : https://www.youtube.com/c/G%C3%89OLogique
Associations/Organisations
(G/S) Infoterre (carte géologiques du territoire français) : https://infoterre.brgm.fr/
Visualiseur standard : https://infoterre.brgm.fr/viewer/MainTileForward.do
Visualiseur simplifié https://infoterre.brgm.fr/viewerlite/MainTileForward.do
(S) BRGM (Bureau des Ressources Géologiques et Minières) : https://www.brgm.fr/fr
(G) Géoportail (visualiseur des cartes du territoire français : géologique, aériennes, cadastrales, anciennes cartes etc etc) : https://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/
(S) Société Géologique de France : https://www.geosoc.fr/
(S) Société Géologique du Nord : https://sgn.univ-lille.fr/
(G/S) Phylopic (site de référencement de silhouette d’organismes actuels comme éteints, silhouette libres de droit et plateforme collaborative) : https://www.phylopic.org/
(G/S) International Commission on Stratigraphy : https://stratigraphy.org/chart/ (échelle des temps géologiques)
Définition des étages géologiques avec liens vers les articles : https://stratigraphy.org/gssps/
Autres chartes et anciennes versions : https://stratigraphy.org/supplementary
German ressources
Websites/forums
(G/S) Steinkern: exchange forum for amateurs and professionals, with tips and tricks on fossil identification and preparation : https://www.steinkern.de/
(G/S) https://www.mineralienatlas.de/
