Collections
The Museum is home to the largest and most important natural history collection in the world, with over 70 million specimens ranging from microscopic slides to mammoth skeletons. It also offers an array of educational, electronic and exhibition resources.
Researchers are using the collections to study the diversity of the natural world, past and present.
Museum scientists are researching
- the planet's plants, animals and microbes
- the processes shaping the world around us
- our solar system
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First early human fossil found in Africa makes debut - 07/03/2013
The Broken Hill skull goes on display today in the Treasures Cadogan Gallery.
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Giant squid DNA reveals one global species - 21/03/2013
A DNA study on the giant squid used tissue samples from the Museum's Archie specimen.
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Lost and found, the first find of an early human artwork - 20/03/2013
Significance of Museum's 14,000-year-old engraved reindeer antler finally recognised.
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Museum specimen sparks hope of echidna survival in Australia - 03/01/2013
A western long-beaked echidna specimen was collected in 1901.
Online collections
Mineralogy specimen database
Search the mineralogy database for specimens held in the Museum's mineralogy collections.
Palaeontology specimen database
Search the palaeontology database for specimens held in the Museum's palaeontology collections.
Library catalogue
Search online for books, maps, artworks, manuscripts, periodicals and photographs.
Museum Archives catalogue
Browse or search for Archive materials, including photographs, correspondence and expedition diaries.
The priceless Blaschka glass models are on display in our Treasures gallery, alongside 21 other exceptional objects from the Museum's vast collections.