The first collection of Karl Alfred von Zittel's Palaeontologische Wandtafeln was printed by the publisher Theodor Fischer in Kassel (Germany) between 1879 and 1890.

Von Zittel was assisted in the editing of the various series of charts by prof. Karl von Haushofer and by prof. Josef Felix Pompeckj. The Geological sciences Department of the University of Padua owns 64 copies of the I. series edited by von Zittel and von Haushofer.

The collection plan, as reported in the Guide that accompanies the collection, is as follows:

I. series: Palaeontologische Wandtafeln / K.A. von Zittel und K. von Haushofer (1879-1901)

II series: K.A.v. Zittel's Palaeontologische Wandtafeln: Fossil Pflanzen / J.F. Pompeckj Salfeld und H. (1909)

The full list of charts is shown in the Index of charts.