British collection of fossil mammals
Dorudon fossil.
The Palaeontology Department cares for a particularly rich collection of fossil mammal material from Britain. It is the most rapidly expanding part of our fossil mammal collection.
Much of the British material has been assembled by Jerry Hooker over the last 40 years and represents a great deal of detailed fieldwork and dedicated collecting.
Pleistocene material
The Pleistocene holdings represent many open and cave sites from around the country and have been assembled over many years.
We have particularly important material from:
- the Republic of Ireland
- East Anglia
- the Thames Valley
- the caves of Devon
In terms of stratigraphic range, this is by far the most important collection in England, with major holdings from sites like:
- Covehithe
- Pakefield
- West Runton
- Boxgrove
- Westbury-sub-Mendip
- Swanscombe
- Clacton
- Grays
- Ilford
- Trafalgar Square
- Tornewton cave
- Kent's Cavern
- Gough's Cave
Our Middle Pleistocene holdings are notably rich.
Tertiary material
The Tertiary holdings are also very rich and diverse, with important material from:
- Abbey Wood
- Creechbarrow
- the Isle of Wight