The Muséum de Toulouse (, MHNT) is a museum of natural history in

Toulouse, France Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

. It is located in the Busca-Montplaisir neighborhood of the city, houses a collection of more than 2.5 million items, and has some of exhibition space. Its

Index Herbariorum The ''Index Herbariorum'' provides a global directory of herbaria (singular, herbarium; plural, herbaria) and their associated staff. This searchable online index allows scientists rapid access to data related to 3,400 locations where a total of ...

code is TLM.

History

The museum was founded in 1796 by the naturalist Philippe-Isidore Picot de Lapeyrouse, with his collections being able to be housed (after the revolution) in the former

Carmelite The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

monastery in Toulouse. In 1808, the emperor

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

formally gifted all the Carmelite buildings and land to the city of Toulouse, and in 1865, the museum was opened to the public in its present location and under the directorship of Édouard Filhol. Toulouse museum was the first museum in the world to open a gallery of

prehistory Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use ...

thanks to the collection of the malacologist Alfred de Candie de Saint-Simon (1731–1851), and the collaboration of Émile Cartailhac, Jean-Baptiste Noulet, and Eugène Trutat.''Le Muséum de Toulouse et l'invention de la préhistoire'', 2010 . In 1887 (on the occasion of a world exposition in Toulouse), the botanical gardens of the

University of Toulouse The University of Toulouse (, ) is a community of universities and establishments ( ComUE) based in Toulouse, France. Originally it was established in 1229, making it one of the earliest universities to emerge in Europe. Suppressed during the ...

became part of the museum. In 2008, the museum reopened in its present form (as of May 2018) with the renovations and extensions of the museum, designed by the architectural firm of Jean-Paul Viguier, having been completed.

Permanent exhibitions

The permanent exhibition has five linked themes: *Sequence 1: Feeling the Earth's power. Nature of the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Sola ...

and its formation. Nature of the Earth –

plate tectonics Plate tectonics (, ) is the scientific theory that the Earth's lithosphere comprises a number of large tectonic plates, which have been slowly moving since 3–4 billion years ago. The model builds on the concept of , an idea developed durin ...

seismic Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes (or generally, quakes) and the generation and propagation of elastic ...

and

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

activity and erosion,

petrology Petrology () is the branch of geology that studies rocks, their mineralogy, composition, texture, structure and the conditions under which they form. Petrology has three subdivisions: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology. Igneous ...

and

mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical mineralogy, optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifact (archaeology), artifacts. Specific s ...

. *Sequence 2: Doing away with our notions of hierarchy. The nature of life –

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

classification Classification is the activity of assigning objects to some pre-existing classes or categories. This is distinct from the task of establishing the classes themselves (for example through cluster analysis). Examples include diagnostic tests, identif ...

, and

organization An organization or organisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences) is an legal entity, entity—such as ...

. *Sequence 3: Getting to grips with the huge scale. Earth history from 3.8 billion years ago. Introduces time,

palaeontology Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geo ...

and the

evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...

of life *Sequence 4: Admitting the obvious. The main functions of living beings – feeding, respiration, locomotion, reproduction, protection and communication. *Sequence 5: Inventing the future. The impact of human activity –

demographic Demography () is the statistics, statistical study of human populations: their size, composition (e.g., ethnic group, age), and how they change through the interplay of fertility (births), mortality (deaths), and migration. Demographic analy ...

pressure on

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

s and

natural resource Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

s File:MHNT - Themes-1.jpg File:MHNT - Themes-2.jpg File:MHNT - Themes-3.jpg File:MHNT - Themes-4.jpg File:MHNT - Themes-5.jpg File:MHNT - Themes-6.jpg File:MHNT - Themes-7.jpg File:MHNT - Themes-8.jpg

Collections

This section presents examples to illustrate the content of each different collection of the Museum de Toulouse.

Prehistory

The prehistoric collection includes mostly artefacts excavated in France. They also contain comparative material from other parts of Europe and other continents. Notable collectors include Édouard Harlé (1850–1922),

Antoine Meillet Paul Jules Antoine Meillet (; 11 November 1866 – 21 September 1936) was one of the most important French linguists of the early 20th century. He began his studies at the Sorbonne University, where he was influenced by Michel Bréal, the Swiss l ...

(1866–1936),

Alexis Damour Augustin Alexis Damour (19 July 1808, in Paris – 22 September 1902, in Paris) was a French mineralogist who was also interested in prehistory. Biography In 1827 he studied under Alexandre Brongniart at the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle in ...

(1808–1902), Félix Regnault (1847–1908), Louis Péringuey (1855–1924), Émile Cartailhac (1845–1921), Daniel Bugnicourt,

Edward John Dunn Edward John Dunn (1 November 1844 – 20 April 1937) was an English-born Australian geologist, winner of the 1905 Murchison Medal. Early life Dunn was born at Bedminster near Bristol, England, the son of Edward Herbert Dunn and Betsy Robinson Du ...

(1844–1937),

Henri Breuil Henri Édouard Prosper Breuil (28 February 1877 – 14 August 1961), often referred to as Abbé Breuil (), was a French Catholic Church, Catholic priest, archaeologist, anthropologist, ethnologist and geologist. He studied cave art in the Somme ( ...

(1877–1961), and Louis Lartet (1840–1899), as well as the curators Jean-Baptiste Noulet (1802–1890), Eugène Trutat (1840–1910), and Édouard Filhol (1814–1883). Image:Sépulture de Teviec Global.jpg, Image:Diorite-Reims-Damour 2.jpg, Image:Hache_Plagne_Global.jpg, Image:Collier de Penne.jpg,

Botany

*The

herbarium A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant biological specimen, specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sh ...

contains historic specimens collected by Benjamin Balansa (1825–1891). File:Entada phaseoloides MHNT.BOT.2007.26.55.jpg, File:Luffa aegyptiaca MHNT.BOT.2007.26.52.jpg, File:(MHNT) Cassia fistula MHNT.bot.2007.26.54.jpg,

Entomology

Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

File:Cerapterus pilipennis (Male).jpg, File:Chrysochroa_rajah_thailandica_MHNT.ZOO.2004.0.520.jpg, File:Hiperantha testacea MHNT.ZOO.2004.0.561.jpg, File:Metaxymorpha gloriosa MHNT.ZOO.2004.0.535.jpg,

Lepidoptera

File:Historis odius.jpg, File:Charaxes varanes vologeses (Mâle).jpg, File:Morpho menelaus didius Male MHNT.jpg, File:Prepona licomedes Bresil Global.jpg,

Orthoptera

File:Oedipoda caerulescens MHNT.jpg, File:Titanacris Albipes Vol.jpg, File:Porphyromma speciosa MHNT.jpg,

Mineralogy

File:Celestite MHNT.MIN.1998.252.jpg, File:Fluorine Peyrebrun.jpg, File:Népouite MHNT.MIN.2005.0.63.jpg, File:Scheelite MHNT.MIN.2004.0.88 (p).jpg, File:Blende MHNT.MIN.1998.81.jpg,

Ornithology

* The bird collection of MHNT contains more than 30,000 specimens, of which 20,000 are eggs. About 8,500 bird mounts and 1,500 scientific bird skins are included. Other bird items are around 2,000 skeletons and skulls and 5,300 eggs. The collection focuses on Europe (especially France), but the collection also has exotic species . Most are documented on card or computer systems. *The bird mount collection of Victor Besaucèle, with 5,000 specimens, is one of the most important historic collections in Europe. *Other collectors represented are R. Bourret, G. Cossaune, M. Gourdon, Hammonville, A. Lacroix, and Reboussin. File:Harfang des neiges MHNT.jpg, File:Mino dumontii - MHNT STV 2002 1.jpg, File:Semnornis_ramphastinus_-_MHNT_PIC_2004_1.jpg, *The egg collection of Jacques Perrin de Brichambaut (1920–2007) was acquired in 2010. It contains his personal collections, supplemented by those of other ornithologists, notably Georges Guichard,

Henri Heim de Balsac Henri Heim de Balsac (1 January 1899 – 28 November 1979) was a French zoologist. In 1937 Henri Heim de Balsac was awarded the Prix Savigny de l'Académie des sciences. In the following year, 1938, he was awarded the Prix Gadeau de Kerville ...

, and Rene de Naurois. It includes all the

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

species (Europe, North Africa, and Asia), about 1,000 species and nearly 15,000 eggs, and is one of the most complete and best-documented palearctic egg collections in Europe. File:Aigle d'Australie MHNT.jpg, Egg of

wedge-tailed eagle The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') also known as the eaglehawk, is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. It is also found in southern New Guinea to the north and is distributed as far south as the state of Tasmania. A ...

File:Aigrette garzette MHNT.jpg, Egg of

little egret The little egret (''Egretta garzetta'') is a species of small heron in the family Ardeidae. It is a white bird with a slender black beak, long black legs and, in the western race, yellow feet. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on ...

File:Pintade de Numidie MHNT.jpg, Egg of

helmeted guineafowl The helmeted guinea fowl (''Numida meleagris'') is the best known of the guinea fowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus ''Numida''. It is native to Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced, as ...

File:Pétrel géant MHNT.jpg, Egg of

southern giant petrel The southern giant petrel (''Macronectes giganteus''), also known as the Antarctic giant petrel, giant fulmar, stinker, and stinkpot, is a large seabird of the southern oceans. Its distribution overlaps broadly with the similar northern giant pe ...

File:Delichon urbicum MHNT.jpg, Nest of

common house martin The western house martin (''Delichon urbicum''), sometimes called the common house martin, northern house martin or, particularly in Europe, just house martin, is a bird migration, migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds i ...

File:Pigeon migrateur MHNT.jpg, Egg of

passenger pigeon The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon (''Ectopistes migratorius'') is an bird extinction, extinct species of Columbidae, pigeon that was endemic to North America. Its common name is derived from the French word ''passager'', meaning "passing by" ...

Osteology

File:Taupe MHNT.OST.1997.45.jpg, File:Avahi 5 face noir.jpg, File:Alouatta seniculus 5perspective.jpg, File:Cynocephalus Perspective.jpg,

Paleontology

The specimens of the collection of paleontology amount to tens of thousands. They date from the Paleoarchean to the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

Invertebrates

The invertebrates room was named Saint-Simon in honor to the collection of the

malacologist Malacology, from Ancient Greek μαλακός (''malakós''), meaning "soft", and λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with the study of the Mollusca (molluscs or mollusks), the second-largest ...

Alfred de Candie de Saint-Simon, presented during the museum opening exhibit in 1865, under the directorship of Édouard Filhol. Image:Stromatolithe_Paléoarchéen_-_MNHT.PAL.2009.10.1.jpg, Image:Pseudoasaphus praecurrens MHNT.PAL.2003.439.jpg,

Vertebrates

Image:Coelodonta antiquitatis .jpg, Image:Coelodonta antiquitatis Crane.jpg, File:Flickr - Wikimedia France - machoire ours-a.jpg,

Henri Gaussen Botanical Garden

Henri Gaussen Marcel-Henri Gaussen (14 July 1891 in Cabrières-d'Aigues (Vaucluse) – 27 July 1981 in Toulouse), was a French botanist and biogeographer. In 1926, he defended his thesis on "the vegetation of the eastern half of the Pyrenees", which laid the ...

was a Toulouse-based phytogeographer and botanist. The

botanic garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

which honours his name is attached to the museum and is part of the Earth and Life Science Research and Training

Paul Sabatier University Paul Sabatier University (''Université Paul Sabatier'' , UPS, also known as Toulouse III) was a French university, in the Academy of Toulouse. It was one of the several successor universities of the University of Toulouse, established in 1229, m ...

. A second botanical area, The Museum Gardens, extends over 3 hectares. It is notable for "''potagers du monde''" (vegetable gardens of the world) and a "shade house" which recreates the conditions required by shade plants.

References

External links

* * François Bon, Sébastien Dubois, Marie-Dominique Labails, 2010. ''Le Muséum de Toulouse et l'invention de la préhistoire Toulouse'' Editions Muséum de Toulouse * Part of this article is a translation of (or greatly inspired by) the French Wikipedia's article (see the list o
title=Mus%C3%A9um_de_Toulouse&action=history authors
{{DEFAULTSORT:Museum de Toulouse Museums in Toulouse Natural history museums in France Museums established in 1796 1796 establishments in France category:Fossil museums in France