Placental Mammal Collection (#7)

Black rhinoceros, artwork C016 / 5580
Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). Sketch 113 from a collection of original sketches by Thomas Baines (1820-1875), English artist

Old English breed sow, artwork C016 / 5558
Old English breed (Sus scrofa) sow, artwork. Plate 3 from The Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Islands, Vol. 2 (1842) by David Low

Orangutan skull, artwork C016 / 5549
Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) skull. Pencil and ink drawing by Henrik Gronvold (1858-1940) from Notes on Anthropoid Apes (1904) by Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild

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

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

Toxodon Platensis, found at Sadillo
Illustration (p.134) from Charles Darwins Journal of Researches, first illustrated edition 1890

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

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

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

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

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

Skin from a Ground sloth
This rare sloth skin, one of the best examples of its kind, was found in a cave in Chile in the early 1900 s

Mylodon
Illustration (p.140) from Charles Darwins Journal of Researches, first illustrated edition 1890

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

Fake rodent skeleton
Sent to the Museum by amateur palaeontologist Reverend C Green in 1843. The skeleton had not been dug out of the ground whole and bones belonged to different individuals

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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.