Epitheria Collection (#33)

Tibetan horse minder
A young Tibetan horse minder, Urulung, Tibet

Elephant rib
An elephant rib that is approximately 6 million years old. From Paleo field trip, Emirate of Abu Dhabi

Homo heidelbergensis mandible (Mauer 1)

Tooth of Hippopotamus amphibius

Australopithecus africanus mandible (MLD 2)
Mandible and teeth of an adolescent male (of about 12 years) Australopithecus africanus discovered at Makapansgat by A.R. Hughes and S. Kitching in July 1948

Suncus murinus caerulescens, Indian grey musk-shrew
Young Musk Rats. Annotated watercolour drawing by Oliva Fanny Tonge (1858-1949), from one of 16 sketchbooks presented to the Natural History Museum in 1952

Homo erectus, Solo Man cranium (Ngandong 1)
The cranium cast of Solo Man discovered at Ngandong close to the Solo River on the island of Java, Indonesia. The specimen belonging to Homo erectus dates back to no later than 800, 000 years ago

Paranthropus robustus jaw bone
Lower jaws of Australopithecus robustus. A robustus lived between 1.8 and 1.5 million years ago in South Africa

Sivapithecus & human mandible
A human mandible (on the left) compared with a Sivapithecus mandible. Sivapithecus, an extinct ape from the Miocene, is believed to have lived 9 million years ago

Sivapithecus sivalensis
Fragments of cranium and mandible of an extinct ape-like primate Sivapithecus sivalensis which lived about 8 million years ago. The specimen was discovered in Potwar, Pakistan

Homo sapiens brain
A cast of a human (Homo sapiens) brain held at the Natural History Museum, London

A Homo habilis hammerstone
A hammerstone tool discovered at the Olduvia Gorge, Tanzania dating back to between 1.85 million years ago to 1.6 million years ago

Sivapithecus meteai cranial fragment
A lower fragment of the cranium of Sivapithecus meteai showing maxilla, incisors, canine, premolars and molars. This specimen dates back 9 million years and was discovered in Yassorien, Turkey

Homo sapiens, Australopithecus, Neanderthal and Pan troglody
A display of models of hominids, including human, Australopithecus, Neanderthal and chimpanzee, on display in the Life Galleries at the Natural History Museum, London

Panthera tigris sumatrae, Sumatran tiger
Photograph of a Sumatran tiger skin specimen. Collection number 1935.4.6.3

Equus zebra, zebra
Photograph of a zebra skin specimen, collection number Z 1993.149

Ursus americanus, American black bear
Ursus Americanus, Cinnamon Bear (Male and Female). Plate 127 from from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol. 3, 1848, by John James Audubon (1785-1851) and John Bachman (1790-1874)

Ursus arctos, grizzly bear
Ursus-Ferox (Lewis & Clark), Grizzly Bear (Males). Plate 131 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol. 3, 1848, by John James Audubon (1785-1851) and John Bachman (1790-1874)

Rangifer tarandus, caribou

Odocoileus virginianus leucurus, Columbian white-tailed deer
Cervus Leucurus (Douglass), Long-Tailed Deer (Male). Plate 118 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol. 3, 1848, by John James Audubon (1785-1851) and John Bachman (1790-1874)

Leopardus pardalis, ocelot
Felis pardalis (Linnaeus), Ocelot or Leopard-Cat (Male). Plate 86 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol. 2, 1846, by John James Audubon (1785-1851) and John Bachman (1790-1874)

Odocoileus virginianus, white-tailed deer
Cervus Virginianus (Pennant), Common American Deer (Fawn). Plate 81 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol. 2, 1846, by John James Audubon (1785-1851) and John Bachman (1790-1874)

Cervus elaphus, red deer
Cervus Canadensis (Ray), American Elk, Wapiti Deer (Male and Female). Plate 62 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol

Sylvilagus palustris, marsh rabbit
Lepus Palustris (Bachman), Marsh rabbit. Plate 18 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol. 1, 1845, by John James Audubon (1785-1851) and John Bachman (1790-1874)

Sylvilagus aquaticus, swamp rabbit
Lepus Aquaticus (Bachman), Swamp Hare (Male). Plate 37 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol. 1, 1845, by John James Audubon (1785-1851) and John Bachman (1790-1874)

Lepus americanus, snowshoe hare
Lepus Americanus (Erxlebein), Northern Hare (Summer. Male and Female). Plate 11 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol

Tamiasciurus douglasii, Douglas squirrel
Sciurus Longipilis, Long Haired Squirrel. Plate 27 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol. 2, 1846, by John James Audubon (1785-1851) and John Bachman (1790-1874)

Lepus townsendii, white-tailed jack rabbit
Lepus Townsendii (Bachman), Townsends Rocky Mountain Hare (Male and Female). Plate 3 from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Vol

Arachnids in an amber pendant
Two arachnids (Phalaphium sp.) harvestman and (Oxyopes sp.) lynx spider trapped and preserved in amber. The amber has been made into a pendant for a necklace

Mustela erminea, ermine
Plate 33 from the Collection of Watercolour Drawings of British Vertebrates, 1830-1841, by William MacGillivray (1796-1851)

Indian gold tore and nose ring c. 1912
Annotated watercolour drawing by Oliva Fanny Tonge (1858-1949), from one of 16 sketchbooks presented to the Natural History Museum in 1952

Human biology
Find out about the different kinds of memory we use, the Human biology gallery

Sus sp. hog, Old English breed
Plate 3 from The Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Islands Vol. 2, 1842, by David Low (1786-1859)

Rhinocerotidae (family), rhinoceros
Woodcut engraving published on page 953 of of Historiae Animalium, Vol. 1 De Quadrupedibus Viviparis (Viviparous Quadrupeds), 1555-1558, by Konrad Gesner (1516-1565)

Erinaceus europaeus, western European hedgehog
Plate 120 Hedgehog. Original watercolour drawing from The Naturalists Library, Mammalia, Vol. 2, 1833-1843, by Sir William Jardine (1800-1874)

Zygolophodon atticus, mastodon
Front view of a skull of an extinct elephant from the Miocene of Pikermi, Greece. This fossil gave rise to the myth of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops

Hippopotamus amphibius, hippopotamus
Plate 67 The Hippopotamus. Original watercolour drawing from The Naturalists Library, Mammalia, Vol. 2, 1833-1843, by Sir William Jardine (1800-1874)

Odontoceti (suborder), toothed whale
Sailors throwing barrels from a ship to conciliate two whales. Page 217 from Curious Creatures in Zoology (1890) by John Ashton

Three unicorns
Monoceros Unicornu and Caprinonq Marinq. Tab 10 from Beschriving Van de Natuur der Vier-voetige Dieren, 1660 by I. Johnston

Sea-horse
Page 234 from Curious Creatures in Zoology, 1890 by John Ashton

Modern Homo sapiens. A range of human remains (cranial and p
Cranium fragments belonging to Modern Homo sapiens dating back 12, 000 years ago discovered at Goughs Cave, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset

Mammoth
Skeleton of the mammoth in the St. Petersburg Museum. from The World before the Deluge Figuier 1981. by Louis Figier

Pteropus loochoensis, Okinawa flying fox
A rare specimen of an Okinawa flying fox skin from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Modern Homo sapiens cranium (Skhul V)
A front view of a cast of Skhul V discovered in 1932 on Mount Carmel, Israel. The original specimen is held at Harvards Peabody Museum. This specimen dates between 80, 000 and 100, 000 years old

Australopithecus africanus, the Taung child
A cast of a skull of Australopithecus africanus from Taung, Cape Province, South Africa. The original skull, thought to be of a child aged between 3-4 was discovered in 1924 by Raymond Dart

Hominid Fossil Collection
A sellection of items from the anthropologigical collections at the Natural History Museum, London

Convallaria polygonatum, solomons seal root
Illustration from the Botany Library Plate Collection held at the Natural History Museum, London

Diceros bicornis, horn of a black rhinoceros
A photograph of a black rhinoceros horn specimen from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

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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.