Paleontology has been developed as a science and study discipline in Moscow State University (MSU) for 200 years. Its founders are Fischer and Rul'e - the biologists with broad naturalistic thinking.

Paleontology started in MSU in 1805 when Fischer published his first paleontological material from the Moscow region and the Moscow Society of Nature Investigators was founded.

Rul'e gave the first independent course of paleontology in MSU in 1842. He led geological and paleontological field trips for a long time, collected and studied fossils from Jura of Moscow region. Fischer and Rul'e created the evolutional and biological basis for paleontological research in MSU and founded Moscow Paleontology School.

The first course of paleontology was lectured in the department of Mineralogy and Geognosy (since 1835), later in the department of Geology (since 1884) and than in the department of Paleontology (since 1919).

In 1919 the Department of Paleontology was set up as an independent structure. It was headed by prof. M.V. Pavlova. She gave a course of general paleontology and this course was based on her textbook 'Paleozoology' (in two parts, 1927 and 1929). The department existed for 10 years, and than it was transferred with the other geological departments to Moscow Geological-Exploring Institute because of the reorganization of geological and geological-exploring education in the country.

The Faculty of Geology and Soil was renewed in MSU in 1938. The Department of Soil Science reappeared this year, and the Department of the Paleontology and the Department of Mineralogy and Petrography did in 1939. The head of Paleontological Institute (PIN) academician A.A. Borisyak was appointed as the head of the Paleontology Department. PIN's researcher Y.A. Orlov was appointed as his deputy, but in fact he was an actual organizer of the Department.

From the beginning Y.A. Orlov tried to start new courses for young paleontologists and geologists in order to improve their education. He invited different specialists to give lectures. So, A.N. Krishtofovich from the St Peterburg's University gave a course of paleobotanic and R.F. Gekker from the PIN lectured a course of paleoecology.

There were not any students in the Department of Paleontology before World War II. All students of the faculty got only general education in paleontology.

MSU was evacuated during the World War II. First, in Ashkhabad (Turkmenistan) and than in Sverdlovsk, now Ekaterinburg (Russia). The Department of Paleontology had one researcher at that time. It was a fourth year student A.K. Rozhdestvennskij. Geological faculty came back in Moscow in spring, 1943. Y.A. Orlov was appointed as a head of the Department.

The first complete paleontologists graduated from the Department in 1943-1944. And paleontologists and biostratigraphists have been educated from that moment to the present in the Department. The development of the Department after World War II may be divided in two periods. It is connected with its location in old and new MSU building.

The staff of the Department extended by the graduated students. The new positions were opened. R.F. Gekker became a professor in 1944, N.A. Poslavskaja got research assistant position in 1945 and V.V. Drushhic started work for the Department in 1948.

The well-thought-out curriculum formed the basis of education of fully qualified paleontologists. An educational program consisted of three equal parts - geological, biological and special paleontological.

There were following special disciplines lectured in 1948/49: general paleontology of invertebrates, paleozoology of vertebrates, selected paleontological courses, history of science, methods of paleontological researches, zoogeography and comparative anatomy of vertebrates (two last courses were given by the lectures from the biological faculty). Later number of courses was extended appreciably. Some theoretical and practical courses about different fossil groups were given by staff members of PIN. The young paleontologists began to participate with geological students in geological training field trip to Crimea since 1947, and since 1951 they started to practice in biology at the White Sea's biological Center.

The Geological Faculty became an independent structure in 1949. The Department got a right to give a PhD and professors (Doctor of Science) degree. The student paleontological circle was opened.

The laboratories of paleozoology, micropaleontology and paleobotany were created in the Department in 1952. The staff of the Department started scientific studies and regular field trips to Caucasia and Kazakhstan. Research in invertebrates of the Jura and the Cretaceous, vertebrates of the Devonian and the Cretaceous was carried out.

The construction of new MSU buildings was finished in summer 1953. On September, 1 there was a grand opening of a new academic year. The Department of Paleontology got seven spacious rooms. The painters made demonstrational illustrations for all courses that were lectured by the Department's staff. These illustrations are still used for the classes. The fossils collections were enriched, new binocular microscopes were bought. There were more possibilities for educational and scientific work. More graduated student became staff member (E. A. Gofman, T.N. Gorbachik, M.M. Pavlova, I.A. Michajlova, B.T. Janin, T.N. Smirnova, O.B. Bondarenko, A.L. Jurina, I.S. Barskov and other). Many of them still work for the Department. V.V. Drushhic became the first assistant of Y.A. Orlov. The staff began to go to field trip in Crimea as an instructor.

The educational, scientific and field Life of the Department was settled after the moving in new building. The already existent courses were improved, the new courses were introduced, the new textbooks were published, the collection's material was added, and many theses were created and defended. The Department won the recognition, its authority rose.

Y. A. Orlov died at 2. October 1966. He was a great teacher, and many oh his followers became an outstanding scientists and teachers.

V. V. Menner was appointed as a head of the Department after Y. A. Orlov. He was a staff member of the Geological Institute Academy of Sciences. His deputy was V.V. Drushhic. New laboratories were organized. There were the laboratory of Phanerozoe paleontology, headed by N.I. Maslakova and laboratory of the sporo-pollen analysis, headed by N.A. Rybakova. Later, in 1984 the present structures were reorganized and now there are three subdivisions: the laboratory of Phanerozoe paleontology and biostratigraphy, the laboratory of palynology and the laboratory of methodological research.

After the death of V.V. Manner (January 6, 1989) the Department has been headed by I.S. Barskov who graduated from the Department in 1960.

In 1998 a multi-step educational system was introduced in the Geological faculty. This system provides three degree's levels: bachelor degree (in 4 years), master degree (in 6 years) and graduate specialist degree (in 5 years). Usually potential post-graduate student get the master degree. The graduate specialists can get a post-graduate student too. The graduates from other institutes and universities can try to get to post-graduate course or to master courses of the Department too. Anyway the admission is always a competition.

There are 438 students graduated from the Department since 1943 to1999. 25 of them were foreigners from 8 countries.