First floor of our East Wing.
Download the Museum map.
From The Beginning
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 our galleries with the Museum map.
Life recorded in fossils
Discover fossils from the Museum's collection in an online exhibition.
A collaboration between the Museum and Google Arts & Culture.
Don't miss a thing
Receive email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. We may occasionally include third-party content from our corporate partners and other museums. We will not share your personal details with these third parties. You must be over the age of 13. Privacy notice.
Follow us on social media