Specimen spotlight
What: trilobite fossil
Size: fits in the palm of your hand
These creatures are distant relatives of crabs. Some swam, while others walked on the sea floor, but by 251 million years ago, they had all disappeared.
Fossils from Britain
Trace our fossil record through mud, silt, sand and time.
Take a closer look at ancient creatures such as trilobites and ammonites. See preserved shark teeth and spot the fossil fakes in the Fossils from Britain gallery.
Star specimens and exhibits
- some of the few specimens discovered from Britain's age of mammals 65 million years ago
- fossils once thought to be darts flung from the heavens during thunderstorms
- examples of the fossilised plants that form coal
- specimens showing the diversity of life during the early Paleozoic era
- examples of non-fossils often mistaken for the real thing
Explore the galleries with the Museum map
Find out how to get around with the Museum map. There are four zones to discover.
Life recorded in fossils
Explore fossils from the Museum's collection in an online exhibition, a collaboration between the Museum and Google Arts & Culture.
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