Fossil Collections of the World: Supplement to an International Guide

In 1980 the International Palaeontological Association undertook
through the establishment of a select committee to compile
a World Directory of palaeontological collections (Webby 1980).
It was aimed at: ( I ) providing palaeontologists with data on the
scope and coverage of available collections world-wide; and (2)
of raising awareness of the problems of maintaining the priceless
resource base of palaeontological heritage material (type specimens,
etc.) that has been built up in museums and other
institutions throughout the world in little more than 200 years.
A large number of palaeontologists participated in the project
through the 1980s. providing information on completed questionnaires
about their national and/or individual instititional
collections. The compilation of these replies. undertaken through
1987 to early 19x9. resulted in a global documentation of some
459 collections representing 47 countries. These were assembled
in a First Edition of the International Guide and published just
over two years ago (Webby 1989). Unfortunately a number of
completed questionnaire responses were received after the volume
went to press. Those received up to March 1990 are
compiled herein as a Supplement using similar layout and
subheadings for entries as in the International Guide.