Epitheria Collection (#31)

Tetracerus quadricornis, four-horned antelope. Skull specimens from the Natural History Museums mammal collection. Specimen reference is 2.8.14.3

Lion skull with lower jaw viewed from the front
Remains found in the moat of the Tower of London during the 1930s, now in the collections at the Natural History Museum

Polar bear- Grizzly bear hybrid, specimen on display at the Natural History Museum, Tring

All about Betel chewing
Watercolour by Olivia Fanny Tonge 1858-1949. 180 x 260mm. From one of sixteen sketchbooks presented to the Museum in 1952

Eubalaena glacialis, black right whale
Black right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) skeleton on display in the Mammal and Whale Gallery (number 24), at the Natural History Museum, London

Ailuropoda melanoleuca, giant panda

Hyperoodon ampullatus, northern bottlenose whale
Skeleton of the northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus), also known as the Thames Whale, which became stranded in the River Thames. Seen here on display with mammal expert Richard Sabin

Ctenocephalides felis felis, cat flea
A macro photograph of the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis felis), which is also found on dogs, and is the UKs most common flea found in the domestic environment

Acacia sp. babul tree
Watercolour by Olivia Fanny Tonge (1858-1949). From one of sixteen sketchbooks presented to the Natural History Museum in 1952

Balaenoptera musculus, blue whale
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) skeleton on display in the Mammal and Whale Gallery (number 24), at the Natural History Museum, London

Dalmation
A Dalmation, photographed by Harry Taylor

Diceros bicornis, black rhinoceros
Black Rhinoceros (Blue Variety). Young cow, shot by Mr Hartley and Molony. September 1870. Sketch 112 from a collection of original sketches by Thomas Baines

Beauty of the Quadrumana
Figures 73 to 76 showing Head of Semnopithecus comatus, head of Cebus capucinus, head of Ateles marginatus and head of Cebus vellerosus. From Darwin, C

Ornithorhynchus anatinus, duck-billed platypus
Plate 13 from a collection of 49 original watercolour drawings of animals by Ferdinand Lucas Bauer (1760-1826), from the H.M.S. Investigator expedition to Australia, 1801-1803

Bos connochaetes, wildebeest
Ff. 21. Drawing by George Forster (1754-1794), made during Captain James Cooks second voyage of discovery, 1772-1775

Phytalmia, antlered fly

Cynogale lowei, lowes otter civet. Type specimen skin, NM number 27.12.1.93

Canis Magellanicus
Illustration (plate 5) from Charles Darwins Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle, Mammalia, Part 2, No.1, 1838

Canis Antarcticus
Illustration (plate 4) from Charles Darwins Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle, Mammalia, Part 2, No.1, 1838

Beelat (aboriginal name)

Buceros rhinoceros, rhinoceros hornbill skull
Back view of a skull of the rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), from the Sloane collection

Myotragus
This animal which lived around 6000 years ago was from the antelope group. Its remains have been found in the Balearic islands

Chilian spurs, stirrup illustration (p.290) from Charles Darwins Journal of Researches, John Murray illustrated edition, 1890

Okapia johnstoni, okapi
Strips of hide from an okapi skin obtained in 1900 by Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston (1858-1927), High Commissioner of Uganda

Zonotrichia albicollis, white-throated sparrow
Plate 8 from John James Audubons Birds of America, original double elephant folio (1827-30), hand-coloured aquatint. Engraved by W.H. Lizars, Edinburgh, retouched by R. Havell & Son, London

Lophura bulweri, Bulwers pheasant
Plate 13 from John Goulds The Birds of Asia, Vol. 7, (1850-83). Hand coloured lithograph

Upper Palaeolithic carvings 11 - 18, 000 years old
Top: Reindeer carved from the tip of a mammoth tusk from Montastruc, France. Bottom: Bone spear-thrower with reindeer carving from Laugerie Basse, France

Chrysoberyl
Shown here is a crystal and a cut stone of chrysoberyl (beryllium aluminum oxide). Chrysoberl is a gemstone and is also known as cats eye

Dipus capensis, cape jerboa
Ff. 13. Annotated Yerbua capensis and Dipus cafer. Painting by George Forster (1754-1794), made during Captain Cooks second voyage of discovery, 1772-1775

Felis silvestris, cat
Photograph of the left view of a domestic cat skull from the education collection at the Natural History Museum at Tring, part of the Natural History Museum, London

Oryctolagus cuniculus, European rabbit
Photograph of the left side view of a European rabbit skull from the education collection at the Natural History Museum at Tring, part of the Natural History Museum, London

Antilope Gnu
Ff. 19a. Drawing by George Forster (1754-1794), made during Captain Cooks second voyage of discovery, 1772-1775

Damaliscus pygargus, bontebok
Ff. 18b. Annotated Antilope pygarga, Antilope dorcas. Painting by George Forster (1754-1794), made during Captain Cooks second voyage of discovery, 1772-1775

Echidna nebulosa, clouded eel
Ff. 172. Watercolour painting by George Forster annotated echidna variegata murona and made during Captain James Cooks second voyage to explore the southern continent (1772-75)

Mustela
Ff. 7. Mustela Galerva. Drawing by George Forster (1754-1794), made during Captain Cooks second voyage of discovery, 1772-1775

Panthera pardus pardus, African leopard
Photograph of an African leopard skin specimen from West Africa

Djebel Kafzeh, Qafzeh Cave, Israel
The cave 2.5 km south of Nazareth, Galilee where fossils of early modern Homo sapiens (Homo sapiens sapiens) were found in 1933 by R. Neuville, in 1935 by R. Neuville & M

Child looking at a tiger exhibit
Specimens on display at the Natural History Museum at Tring, part of the Natural History Museum, London

Baby mammoth
Found in the permafrost in 1977, this baby mammoth Dima, estimated to be 6-7 months old at the time of its death, was displayed in London in 1979

Stuffed primates in Gallery 1, The Natural History Museum at
Stuffed primate specimens on display at the Natural History Museum at Tring, part of the Natural History Museum, London

Canis lupus familiaris, dog
Ballyregan Bob, famous racing greyhound. Specimen on display at the Natural History Museum at Tring, part of the Natural History Museum, London

Leptonychotes weddellii, Weddell seal
Mother Weddell seal with pup. Folio 1906. Ref. Z88fw. Watercolour by Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912) from reports of the Discovery Expedition to Antarctica, 1901-1904. Folio 1906. Ref. Z88fw

Rosa canina, dog rose
Watercolour no.4 by Ralph Stennett, 1807. Held in the Botany Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Lucilia sericata, sheep blowfly
Myiasis wound on the back of a sheep due to the sheep blowfly (Lucillia sericata) Sarbogard, Hungary. Photographed by Martin Hall

Treatment of ear myiasis in an infected sheep in Sarbogard, Hungary. Photographed by Martin Hall

Cuterebra, rodent botfly
3rd instar or stage of the rodent botfly found on a spiny rat (Proechimys sp.) in French Guiana. Photographed by Martin Hall

Gyrostigma rhinocerontis, botfly maggot
A adult rhino botfly maggot (Gyrostigma rhinocerontis) extracted from a white rhino, Merseyside. Photographed by Martin Hall

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"Exploring Epitheria: From Lucy to Lord Rothschild's Zebra-Drawn Trap" Epitheria, a term derived from the Greek words "epi" meaning upon and "therion" meaning beast, encompasses a vast array of fascinating creatures that have roamed our planet throughout history. One intriguing aspect of these beings is their sensory homunculus - a representation of how different body parts are mapped onto the brain. In the realm of paleontology, we cannot overlook the remarkable contributions made by Mary Anning (1799-1847). Her groundbreaking discoveries shed light on ancient life forms, including hominid crania. Among them stands Australopithecus afarensis (AL 288-1), affectionately known as Lucy. This iconic fossil provides crucial insights into our evolutionary journey. As we delve deeper into epitherian anatomy, another captivating concept emerges - the motor homunculus. Just like its sensory counterpart, this map reveals how various body regions control movement within the brain. Lucy once again takes center stage in this discussion as her skeletal remains offer valuable clues about locomotion in Australopithecus afarensis. Shifting gears from primates to an eccentric tale involving Lord Walter Rothschild and his zebra-drawn trap. This peculiar contraption showcases both human ingenuity and curiosity towards capturing exotic animals for study or display. While mammals dominate the world of epitheria, other species deserve recognition too. Ballyregan Bob, a legendary greyhound known for his speed and agility; Indian elephants majestically roaming c. 1898 landscapes; Neofelis nebulosa diardi with its mesmerizing clouded coat; Lama pacos enchanting us with their soft alpaca wool – all exemplify nature's diversity within this group. Not forgetting insects' contribution to epitheria's tapestry. Cladognathus sp.