(Claw of Baryonyx walkeri) Baryonyx means 'heavy claw'. Unusually for a carnivorous dinosaur we know it ate fish as scientists have found fish scales and teeth with its fossil where its stomach would have been.

Skip to page content

Primary navigation

Fossils from Britain

View ancient creatures like trilobites and ammonites, and marvel at fossilised shark teeth.

Part of the The Fossils from Britain display.

The Fossils from Britain gallery gives an insight into our fossil record, preserved in mud, silt or sand and, over time, transformed into sedimentary rock.

Trilobite fossil, part of the Fossils from Britain display.

Trilobites are an extinct group of marine creature that lived in prehistoric oceans 570–245 million years ago. Their closest living relative is the horseshoe crab, and they are the first known fossils with eyes.

Small ammonites.

Ammonites were sea creatures that lived 245–65 million years ago. Their beautifully coiled and marked shells are divided into chambers. Ammonites used the chamber near the opening to live in and the others were filled with gas for buoyancy.

Fossilised shark teeth.

Shark teeth are the main part of the creature to become fossilised, as sharks have no bones and their skeletons are formed from cartilage. Fossil teeth were known as tongue stones because they were thought to resemble serpent tongues turned to stone.

Mineral formation in the shape of a mouse.

Sometimes rock and mineral formations can resemble fossils – can you spot the ‘mouse fossil’ and see this for yourself?

Print version
Cartoon image of a stegasaurus disappearing through closing door

With our shark experts, Speedo developed a super-fast swimsuit – its special fabric mimics the microscopic features of sharks’ skin.