From the Beginning
Taking you right back to the big bang and the history of time itself, here you can explore the distant past, discover early sea creatures, mammals and ancient fossils – and take a peek into the Earth’s future...
Travel back in time and discover the amazing story of the survival of life on Earth. See how the planet has evolved by examining the time rail that runs through the gallery. With every step you take, you move on 25 million years.
Did you know Saturn’s low density means it would float in water? Or that the surface of Mars is red because of iron oxide dust? Use our interactive display to get to know the planets in our solar system.
One of the oldest rocks on Earth is about 3,850 million years old and was found in Greenland. The different layers show how intense heat and pressure have altered the sediments in the rock.
This fearsome creature was a gigantic crocodile. Its skull is estimated to be 83–71 million years old – older even than the T. rex skull next to it. The beast may have preyed on dinosaurs at the water’s edge.
After the flying reptiles became extinct, mammals took to the air and diversified. This fossil bat, Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon, is of one of the earliest bats and is dated to 49 million years old. It was found in Messel Pit in Germany and lived in the Eocene period, like Ida, the recently-discovered 47-million-year-old, lemur-like fossil primate.
The horse has undergone a long process of evolution to become the creature we know today. This is the skull of an early horse found in Harwich, in Essex. It lived some 54 million years ago and evolved after the dinosaurs became extinct.
Toolbox
There are 27 km of specimen shelves in the Darwin Centre - the same distance as between the Museum and Junction 6 of the M1.