We have a hawksbill turtle shell in our Natural History Collection, which was found washed up on the sand at Kilifi in Kenya.
The hawksbill sea turtle is critically endangered. It is named for its narrow, pointed beak. It has a distinctive pattern of overlapping scales on its shell that forms a serrated look at the edges. These patterned shells are commonly sold as "tortoiseshell" in markets
This piece of a giraffe neck bone was found in Kenya and is part of our Natural History Collection.
The giraffe was presumed to have died of natural causes. The neck of a giraffe is made up of seven large bones known as cervical vertebrae. At an average height of around 5 m (or 16-18 ft), the giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world. Many people first believed the giraffe was a cross between a leopard and a camel, which is reflected in its scientific name, "giraffa camelopardalis".
Giraffes mainly live in savanna areas in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Their height allows them to eat leaves and shoots that are out of the reach of other animals. They particularly like acacia trees.
We have a cabinet of British Butterflies in our Natural History Collection.
It contains the following butterflies:
Top row:
Dark Green Fritillary, Orange Tip, Chalkhill Blue, Comma, Adonis Blue, Green-veined White, Brimstone
Second row:
Marbled White, Heath Fritillary, Small Skipper, Silver Washed Fritillary, Green Hairstreak, Marsh Fritillary, White Admiral
Third row:
Tortoiseshell, Ringlet, Glanville Fritillary, Red Admiral, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Small White
Fourth row:
Clouded Yellow, Large Heath, Holly Blue, Peacock, Common Blue, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown
Fifth row:
Black-veined White, Grizzled Skipper, Small Copper, Painted Lady. Small Heath, Checkered Skipper, Large White
The UK has 59 species of butterflies. 57 of these are resident species of butterflies and two are regular migrants: the Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow. Five species of butterfly have become extinct in the last 150 years: the Mazarine Blue, Large Tortoiseshell, Black-veined White, Large Copper and Large Blue.
Butterflies and moths have been recognised as indicators of biodiversity. Their fragility makes them quick to react to change, and so their struggle to survive is a serious warning about our environment.
These fragments of Thecosmilia Fossil were found at Rock Edge in Headington, and are part of our History of Headington collection.
Rock Edge is a remnant of the limestone quarries formerly worked extensively throughout Headington. The rocks exposed in the cliff face are of Upper Jurassic age, around 140-150 million years old.
It is the site of a former coral patch reef, where fossilised corals and mollusc shells can be seen. Towards the north-eastern end it becomes more layered with cemented limestones containing small ooliths (tiny rounded grains) and broken shell fragments. These represent the sandy sea-floor environment around the former coral reef.
Corals are invertebrate animals belonging to a large group of colourful and fascinating animals called Cnidaria. Other animals in this group that you may have seen in rock pools or on the beach include jelly fish and sea anemones. Thecosmilia is an extinct type of stony corals that lived from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous age.
This is a Jurassic limestone ammonite fossil from our Science collection. It was found in Somerset, UK and is between 200 and 240 million years old.
Ammonites are one of the most well-known fossils. They possess a ribbed spiral-form shell. Ammonites lived in the oceans between 240 and 65 million years ago, when they became extinct along with dinosaurs. The name "ammonite" derives from the Greek god Ammon, who was ram-horned.
Ammonites belong to a group of predators called "cephalopods", which includes the octopus, squid and cuttlefish. They moved by jet propulsion, expelling water through a funnel-like opening to propel themselves in the opposite direction. They typically lived for two years, and they spent their time in shallow waters. We know this from their diet and also the fact that their shells would have been unlikely to have withstood the pressure of deeper waters.