Evolutionary Biology Collection (#4)

Eohippus. Artists impression of the extinct horse Eohippus, also known as Hyracotherium. This species lived during the Eocene epoch between 60 and 45 million years ago

Homo georgicus. Artists impression of the skull, head and face of H. Georgicus. This hominid lived during the Pleistocene era

Australopithecus reconstruction. Head and neck of the early hominid (Australopithecus, from 4-2 million years ago), as reconstructed by Dart in 1926

Macrauchenia. Artists impression of the extinct prehistoric mammal Macrauchenia. This herbivore lived 7 million to 20, 000 years ago

Australopithecus and gorilla brains. Historical artwork comparing the brain sizes of an early hominid (Australopithecus, from 4-2 million years ago) and a gorilla (brains seen from behind)

Homo rudolfensis. Artists impression of the skull and face of the tool-using hominid H. rudolfensis. It is sometimes classified as Homo habilis (meaning " handy man" )

Merychippus. Artists impression of the extinct horsel Merychippus. This species lived during the Miocene epoch between 17 and 11 million years ago. It is thought to be the first horse to graze

Australopithecus boisei skull, computer artwork. Australopithecus boisei was a hominid that lived in Africa between about 2.3 to 1.3 million years ago

Homo heidelbergensis male, artists impression. H. heidelbergensis lived between 600, 000 and 250, 000 years ago in the Pleistocene era

Skulls of Tuang child and a chimpanzee
Tuang child (Australopithecus africanus) and chimpanzee skulls. The Tuang child fossil (left) was discovered in 1924 in Tuang, South Africa. The child, an example of A

Dinosaur DNA. Computer artwork of dinosaurs climbing a double helix representing the concept of cloning a dinosaur from preserved dinosaur DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

Four-winged dinosaur. Artwork of Microraptor gui, a gliding dinosaur with feathers on all four limbs, which lived in the early Cretaceous period about 130 million years ago

Paranthropus robustus. Artists impression of the skull and face of the early hominid Paranthropus robustus. P. robustus means " robust equal of man"

Tuang child skull
Tuang child (Australopithecus africanus)skull. The Tuang child fossil was discovered in 1924 in Tuang, South Africa. The child, an example of A

Taung skull
The original type specimen of Australopithecus africanus, known also as the Taung specimen, discovered in 1924 at a lime quarry near Taung in South Africa

Hyaenodon. Artists impression of the extinct prehistoric mammal Hyaenodon. This carnivorous predator lived during the late Eocene through to the Oligocene epoch, 41-21 million years ago

Homo ergaster behaviour, artists impression. H. ergaster is traditionally considered an early type of H. erectus by scientists. However, there are differences between the early populations of H

Human ancestor, computer artwork
Human ancestor. Computer artwork of an upright walking hominid carrying a spear for hunting

Burgess Shale fossil quarry. These rocks contain large numbers of fossils from 500 million years ago. They were formed when an avalanche of fine mud buried

Homo georgicus family eating meat. This illustration depcits a hominid family which lived during the Pleistocene era. Its remains were found in 1999

Kenyanthropus platyops. Artists impression of the skull and face of of Kenyanthropus platyops. The remains of this hominid were found in 1999 at Lake Turkana

Modern man. Model of a Homo sapien man. Modern humans are characterised by the lighter build of their skeletons compared to earlier humans

Male hominid, computer artwork
Male hominid. Computer artwork of a male hominid. Prehistoric ape-like creatures such as Australopithecus sp. were able to walk on two legs with a fully upright posture

Indricotherium. Artists impression of a herd of Indricotherium (also known as Baluchitherium), extinct mammals that lived during the late Oligocene and early Miocene epoch, 20-30 million years ago

Brontotheres. Artists impression of two Brontotheres (Brontotherium sp.), extinct mammals that lived during the Eocene epoch, 58-30 million years ago

Australopithecus africanus. Artists impression of the skull, facial muscle structure and face of an Australopithecus africanus hominid. A

Uintatherium. Artists impression of two Uintatherium (Uintatherium robustum), extinct mammals that lived during the Eocene epoch, 52-36 million years ago

Early invertebrate. Computer artwork of Vetustovermis planus, an invertebrate from the Early Cambrian Period, about 525 million years ago, swimming. A V

Fossilised frontal bone, Gran Dolina
Fossilised frontal bone from a childs skull. Fragments of a 12-year-old childs cranial bone being pieced together by a palaeontologist

Homo heidelbergensis female, artists impression. H. heidelbergensis lived between 600, 000 and 250, 000 years ago in the Pleistocene era

Paranthropus aethiopicus skull and head
Paranthropus aethiopicus, skull and head. The remains of this hominid were discovered in 1985 at West Turkana in Kenya, Africa. P. aethiopicus lived from 2.5 to 2.7 million years ago (Pilocene era)

Plant evolution. Conceptual computer artwork of plant evolution. Two molecules of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) are emerging from plant cells (bottom) and joining together (upper centre)

Homo antecessor. Artists impression of the skull, head and face of an adult male Homo antecessor. The remains of this hominid were discovered in level TD6 of the Gran Dolina archaeological sites in

Taung Child skull. Artwork, from 1931, showing the appearance and size (scale in millimetres) of the fossil skull discovered by Dart in Taung, South Africa, in 1924

Early human skulls. Artwork of skulls of various human species, taken from Bilder Atlas

Earth and nebulae. Computer artwork of the Earth with a nebula behind it. A nebula is a large cloud of gas and dust in space. They are often many light years across

Stone tool, Gran Dolina. This stone tool was formed by striking the stone to produce a continuous edge on one or both sides

Animal tooth, Gran Dolina. Tooth from a sabre- toothed tiger (Smilodon sp.), found in level TD10 (upper levels) of the Gran Dolina site

Skull 5, Sima de los Huesos. In 1992, the team working with Professor Juan Luis Arsuaga found skull 5 (Miguelon) at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones), the best preserved skull known world-wide

Fossilised remains, Sima de los Huesos. Reconstructed Homo hiedelbergensis skeleton. This skeleton has been made up from human fossils found at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

Fossilised skulls, Sima de los Huesos. These human skulls are amongst many hundreds of pieces of human fossils found at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

Fossilised teeth, Sima de los Huesos. These teeth were found at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones) and are the most found for any human species, world-wide

Excavation at Galeria
MODEL RELEASED. Excavation at Galeria. Excavations at this site started in 1982. Occupation floors, or layers of earth that at one time made up the cave floor, were discovered

Human fossils, Sima de los Huesos. These human fossils are a selection of the hundreds of pieces found at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

Skull 4, Sima de los Huesos. In 1992, the team working with Professor Juan Luis Arsuaga found skull 4 (Agamenon) at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones), the first intact skull found at the site

Human evolution. Computer artwork of the skeletons of an ape-like animal and a human (Homo sapiens) separated by a molecule of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and surrounded by images of fossils

Elephants tooth, Gran Dolina
Elephants tooth, Sima del Elefante. This elephants milk tooth was found at Sima del Elefante (Elephant Pit). As well as a rich collection of mammal fossils dating back to between 1.25

Fossilised remains, Gran Dolina. These human fossils, dating back approximately 800, 000 years, are a selection found in level TD6 at the Gran Dolina site betwen 1994 and 1995

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Evolutionary biology, the fascinating study of how species have evolved and adapted over time, encompasses a wide range of captivating topics. From the stages in human evolution to Charles Darwin's groundbreaking work, this field offers profound insights into our origins and the intricate web of life on Earth. At the heart lies Charles Darwin, a British naturalist whose revolutionary ideas forever changed our understanding of life's diversity. His iconic evolutionary tree beautifully illustrates how all living organisms are interconnected through common ancestry. A portrait capturing his intellectual prowess reminds us of his immense contributions to science. Delving deeper into human evolution, we encounter Australopithecus afarensis - an ancient hominid species that walked upright millions of years ago. Through stunning artwork, we can visualize their appearance and understand their place in our ancestral lineage. The female Australopithecus africanus further exemplifies the gradual changes that occurred during our journey from primates to humans. Primate skulls offer tangible evidence showcasing the remarkable variations within different species as they adapted to diverse environments throughout history. These remnants provide crucial clues about our shared heritage with other primates and shed light on key evolutionary processes. As we explore further back in time, we encounter extinct creatures like the mammoth - colossal beasts that roamed prehistoric landscapes thousands of years ago. Their existence serves as a testament to both adaptation and extinction within Earth's ever-changing ecosystems. The image of a scimitar cat attacking a hominid vividly portrays the harsh realities faced by early humans during their struggle for survival against formidable predators. This scene reminds us that every step in human evolution was accompanied by challenges and risks. Artwork depicting various stages in human evolution allows us to envision how physical traits gradually transformed over millennia - from primitive forms resembling apes to modern-day Homo sapiens with distinct cognitive abilities. Intriguingly, Leptictidium represents another branch on nature's evolutionary tree.