Placental Mammal Collection (#20)

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

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

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

Fossil tooth of some extinct monstrous unknown animal from W
Plate 1 from Strata Identified by Organized Fossils by William Smith (1816-1819) (Mastodon arvernensis Croizet & Jobert from Norwich Crag, Pleistocene)

Six million year old elephant excavated during Paleontology field work, Emirate of Abu Dhabi

Excavations, Abu Dhabi
Palaeontologists from the Natural History Museum, London, excavate an fossil elephant dating back six million years during an expedition to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi

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)

Mylodon darwinii, ground sloth toenails
13, 000 year old specimens of ground sloth toenails dating from the Pleistocene, Chile

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

Ground sloth skin
Skin of the extinct ground sloth (Mylodon darwinii). This is a 13, 000 year old specimen from the Pleistocene, Chile

Zaedyus pichiy, pichi armadillo
Pichi armadillo collected by Charles Darwin at Bahia Blanca, Argentina, 1833 (formerly Daspus minutus)

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

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

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)

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

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

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

Megatherium skeleton
Plate 72 from Le Regne Animal Vol 2 by Georges Cuvier

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

Homo erectus cranium (Trinil 2)
A cranium (cast) belonging to Homo erectus discovered at Trinil near to the River Solo, Java, Indonesia by Eugene Dubois in 1891

Alouatta seniculus, red howler monkey
Portrait of a red howler monkey, native to the forests in various regions across South America. Photographed by Frank Greenaway

Pleistocene glacial landscape
During the Pleistocene (1.8 million years ago to 10, 000 years), ice covered much of Britain north of the Thames. Cold climate animals included the woolly mammoth (left) Mammuthus primigenius

Long tail makak
Indonesia, Sumatra, Bukitlavang, long tail makak with his mouth open

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"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.