Epitheria Collection (#8)

Horses being used to transport a Basking shark from Brighton
Hand-drawn graphite and watercolour wash depicting the horses used to transport a Basking shark from North Audley Street, Brighton to London on a carriage pulled by 12 horses. 10th Dec 1812

Phyllotis chacoensis
Views of a Phyllotis chacoensis skull. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London. Photographed by Harry Taylor, 2010

Drawing of a seal intestine by Edward Wilson. Drawn during the Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole 1910-1913

Lepus Cuniculus, Rabbit
Plate XVIII of a dissection of a Rabbit from Anatomy of Vertebrates by Daniel McAlpine, published in 1881

Diphyllobothrium polyrugosum, tapeworm
Discovered inside a 3.8 metre killer whale washed up on a beach in Cornwall in 1978

Pongo pygmaeus, Orang utan
This glorious orang utan was shot by naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in the mid-1800s

Skull cups and bone fragments, Goughs Cave
Skull cups identified among human remains from Goughs Cave, Somerset. At around 14, 700 years old, the skull cups are the oldest directly dated examples in the world

Ursus maritimus, Polar bear
Part of the collection amassed by Walter Rothschild in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. On display at the Natural History Museum at Tring

Embalmed whale on tour in England, 1931
A 45 foot whale, the largest ever seen in England, which weighs more than 20 tons, is on a tour of England. It was caught off the coast of Norway and embalmed by Mr

Raised beaches, Patagonis
Illustration (p.182) from Charles Darwins Journal of Researches, first illustrated edition 1890

Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas (1858-1929)
Portrait of Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas, a British zoologist. Painting, oil on canvas, by J. Ernest Braun, 1904. Original held at the Natural History Museum, London

Stag Beetle Collection of Hughes Bomans
A sample from some 32, 000 stag beetles collected by French entomologist Hughes Bomans

Homeward Bound
Illustration (p.531) from Charles Darwins Journal of Researches, first illustrated edition 1890

Fox
An illustration (Plate 7, Mammals) from the Zoology of the Beagle

Bandages from a calf mummy

Paranthropus robustus cranium (SK 48)
A cast of the cranium belonging to an adult female Paranthropus robustus discovered at Swartkrans, South Africa by Dr. Robert Broom and J.T. Robinson. P. robustus lived around 1.5 million years ago

Whales and their relatives
Poster advertising Whales and their relatives exhibition which opened in 1984

British Museum (Natural History) New Fossil Mammal Gallery P
A poster advertising the New Fossil Mammal Gallery Pleistocene Section which opened in 1970. One of the many fossils displayed in the gallery was a Giant Irish Elk, which is depicted in this poster

Caloprymnus campestris, Desert rat-kangaroo
The Desert-rat kangaroo (Caloprymnus campestris) is an extinct marsupial that lived in Australia. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London. Photographed by Harry Taylor, 2010

Phiolophus vulpiceps. Skull of a dawn horse found in Harwich

Cervus unicolor brookei
Photograph of BM(NH) 1.3.13.1 Cervus unicolor brookei, Sarawak

Rodent
An illustration (Plate 21, Mammals) from the Zoology of the Beagle

Sus scrofa, European wild boar
European wild boar piglets. Stuffed specimens on display in Gallery 5 at the Natural History Museum at Tring, part of the Natural History Museum, London

The largest mammoth tusk, 1931
A mammoth tusk from Siberia, nearly 14 feet long, just presented to the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, is believed to be the largest yet known. It is the gift from the Rowland Ward Trustees

Skull cup found at Goughs Cave
A skull cup identified among human remains from Goughs Cave, Somerset. At around 14, 700 years old, the skull cups are the oldest directly dated examples in the world

Megaloceros, Irish elk
Also known as Irish elk, Megaloceros lived across Europe and western Asia until it became extinct about 8, 000 years ago

Buenos Ayres Bullock-wagons
Illustration (p.150) from Charles Darwins Journal of Researches, first illustrated edition 1890

Fossil tooth of horse, from Bahia Blanca
Illustration (p.138) from Charles Darwins Journal of Researches, first illustrated edition 1890

Exhibition of a giraffe to the public
A printed poster advertising the last week of the magnificent living Giraffe or camelopardalis with its Nubian attendant

Blue Whale Hall
View of Blue Whale Hall, Mammal Gallery, Gallery 24, Life Galleries at The Natural History Museum, London

Australopithecus sp. hip bone
The hip bone (Os coxae) of Australopithecus from Sterkfontein, South Africa

Homo habilis cranium & mandible fragment casts
Casts of fragments mandible and cranium fragments of a Homo habilis discovered at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania dating back to between 1.85 million years ago to 1.6 million years ago

Bulldog shark illustration
One of 67 original water colour drawings of Mammals, Reptiles and Fish found at King Georges Sound, Western Australia, and in its neighbourhood; accompanied by manuscript notes by Neill, Robert

Trachypithecus cristatus, silver leaf monkey. Males skull. Catalogue reference 1909.4.1.5

Rhinoceros sondaicus, javan rhinoceros skull from sunderabund, Bengal

Boxgrove excavation site
A view of the archaeological excavation site at Boxgrove, West Sussex, UK. The site yielded a very significant fossil find, a tibia and incisors believe to have belonged to a 500

Bat
An illustration (Plate 1, Mammals) from the Zoology of the Beagle

Australopithecus sp. thigh & hip bone

Beached whales alive in a Cornish village, 1932
The people of Perranporth, a village not far from Newquay, Cornwall, have just had the surprise of their lives. Eight whales have been found on the beach washed up during a gale

Bubalus bubalis, Indian water buffalo
These are the largest Indian water buffalo horns ever recorded, each almost 2 metres long

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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.