Placental Mammal Collection (#11)

Archaic Homo sapiens cranium (Laetoli 18)
A front view of a cranium belonging to Archaic Homo sapiens dating back to 150, 000 years ago. This specimen known as Laetoli 18 was discovered within the Ngaloba bed at Laetoli in Tanazania

Tupaia glis, common tree shrew
Teeth in the upper mandible of a male comon tree shrew, showing the fundamental mammalian triangle of sharp, pointed cusps. Scale is in millimetres

A puma-leopard hybrid
A hybrid of a puma and a leopard, (about 1 metre in length) on display at the Natural History Museum at Tring. Close-up of head

Whale heart
A freeze dried specimen of a Whales heart, thought to be from an immature Sperm Whale. Held in the Natural History Museums Department of Zoology. Approximately 1 metre in length

Casts of Australopithecus boisei jaw bones
Casts of Upper jaw (left) of Australopithecus (Paranthropus) boisei from the Olduvai Gorge; lower jaw (right) of Australopithecus (Paranthropus) boisei from Peninj

Nycticebus coucang, slow loris
LS Plate 75 of the John Reeves Collection of Zoological Drawings from Canton, China, 1774-1856. See also Image reference 24829

Hyracotherium skeleton
Modelled from various sources. Hyracotherium is the earliest known horse from the late Palaeocene and early Eocene of North America and Europe. Frame is 820mm wide

Plate 77 of the Reeves Collection (Zoology)
LS Plate 77 of the John Reeves Collection of Zoological Drawings from Canton, China, 1774-1856

Equus caballus, horse
Skull belonging to a horse (Equus caballus) from the Zoology collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Orcaella brevirostris, Irrawaddy dolphin
Photograph of the dorsal view of the skull of an Irrawaddy dolphin

Arsinotherium skeleton
Mounted skeleton of an Oligocene, 35 million year old rhinoceras-like ungulate from Egypt. Complete mounted skeleton

Sousa teuszii, Atlantic Hump-backed Dolphin skull

The Anthropomorpha of Linnaeus
An illustration by Bontius (1658) of early impressions of the Orangutan. The picture was published in Thomas Huxleys Evidence as to Mans Place in Nature (1883)

Stone age horse
A plastic replica of amber stone age horse carving. Image from Amber the Natural Time Capsule fig. 23

Equus sp. zebra
Plate 222 from Capter 12 of Gleanings of Natural History by George Edwards (1694-1773), published 1758-1764

Bat design
Drawing by Alfred Waterhouse for the ornamentation of the Natural History Museum, London, 1875-1876. Waterhouse designed the museum in the 1860s, and it first opened its doors on Easter Monday 1881

Rattus rattus, black rat
Detail of plate from a collection of pencil sketches and watercolour drawings of British mammals c. 1890-1910 by Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912)

Chrotopterus auritus auritus, woolly false vampire bat
Woolly false vampire bat (Chrotopterus auritus auritus) photographed in Belize by Frank Greenaway

Carnivora (order), carnivore
Plate 129 Three carnivores. Watercolour by Tursmoney Chittenham, a Nepalese artist, c. 1840. From the scrapbook collection of birds and mammals of Nepal, 1818-1858

Detail of terracotta moulding of a bat in the Waterhouse Bui
The Waterhouse Buiding at the Natural History Museum, London was designed by Alfred Waterhouse (1830-1905) and first opened its doors on Easter Monday 1881

X-ray of a mummified cat
X-ray of mummified ancient Egyptian cat from Ptolemaic period, 330-30 BC. Collected by Sir Flinders Petrie. X-ray shows displaced neck (cervical) vertebrae

Antler baton (Goughs Cave)
Reindeer antler baton excavated from Goughs Cave, Cheddar, Somerset dated at around 14, 000 to 12, 000 years old, (Creswellian)

Mus musculus, house mouse
Plate from a collection of pencil sketches and watercolour drawings of British mammals c. 1890-1910 by Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912)

Ursus spelaeus, cave bear
Skull specimen of a cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) from the Natural History Museums Palaeotology department

Hesperocyon
Fossil from the Natural History Museum s, Palaeontology Department

Panthera onca, jaguar
Close-up of Jaguar (Panthera onca) skin. The Jaguar is the largest of the New World Cats. It can be found in the Jungles of South and Central America

Cercopithecus mona, mona monkey
Mounted skeleton of a mona monkey

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895)
Portrait of Thomas Henry Huxley, a zoologist, a strong advocate of Charles Darwin, and author of many publications including The Physical Basis of Life (1868)

Tetracerus quadricornis, four-horned antelope jaw
Tetracerus quadricornis, four-horned antelope. Jaw specimen taken from the collection at the Natural History Museum. Specimen ref is 56.9.22.11

Chihuahua
The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog in the world and is named for the Chihuahua region in Mexico. Photographed by Harry Taylor

Galago moholi, South African galago
Mounted skeleton of Galago moholi, South African galago, monkey

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"Unveiling the Marvels of Placental Mammals: From Lucy to Sperm Whales" Step into a world where ancient creatures and modern marvels coexist. Meet Australopithecus afarensis, famously known as Lucy, our earliest ancestor in the hominin lineage. Her fossilized remains provide invaluable insights into human evolution. But the wonders don't stop there. Lord Walter Rothschild's zebra-drawn trap showcases his eccentricity and passion for wildlife conservation. Meanwhile, Ballyregan Bob, a majestic greyhound, exemplifies the elegance and speed of these domesticated placental mammals. Venture further back in time to encounter Megatherium, the colossal giant ground sloth that once roamed Earth. Its massive size leaves us awe-struck at nature's ability to create such extraordinary beings. The ferocious Smilodon fatalis with its iconic saber-like teeth takes center stage next. This fearsome sabre-toothed cat reminds us of prehistoric predators that ruled their habitats with unmatched prowess. In contrast to these formidable creatures, we have Mustela nivalis - the least weasel - showcasing how even small they can leave an indelible mark on our planet's biodiversity. Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild himself was not only a collector but also a pioneer in zoology. His contributions paved the way for scientific understanding and conservation efforts worldwide. Proconsul africanus represents an important link between primates and humans. Its existence sheds light on our common ancestry and offers glimpses into early primate behavior. Marvel at the sleek design of greyhounds; their streamlined bodies are perfectly adapted for high-speed pursuits—a testament to both natural selection and human intervention through selective breeding practices. Witness Homo habilis in action—an early member of our own genus who used tools skillfully millions of years ago—showcasing humanity's ingenuity from its very beginnings.