Explore the evolution of life on our planet in the From the Beginning gallery.
Discover early sea creatures, dinosaurs, mammals and ancient fossils. Go on a journey through time from the big bang to the present, and take a peek into the future. Find out how our solar system was formed, learn about the variety of life that's lived on our planet, and discover just how late humans arrived on the scene.
Star specimens and exhibits
- 3,500 million year old microfossil that represent the earliest life on Earth
- sea creatures that moved onto land, and some that went back to the water
- evidence of flying reptiles and dino-birds
- early whales, horses, bats and primates that thrived after dinosaur extinction
- the animal species that humans have helped drive to extinction
Explore the galleries with the Museum map
Find out how to get around with the Museum map. There are four zones to discover.
Life recorded in fossils
Discover fossils from the Museum's collection in an online exhibition.
A collaboration between the Museum and Google Arts & Culture.
Discover: life on Earth
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34-million-year-old flapper that’s one of a kind
A beautiful and unique fossil butterfly from a time when the Isle of Wight was a tropical forest.
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'Monstrous' mastodon molar
This is the first mastodon fossil from Britain ever described. It belonged to William Smith, creator of Britain’s first geological map.
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Human evolutionHow we became human
What features make us human? And where, when and why did they evolve?
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SpaceHow our solar system was born
Discover how a giant interstellar cloud known as the solar nebula gave birth to our solar system and everything in it.
