Lasting Impressions
See how the marks of waves made on a beach 200 million years ago have been preserved. Examine rocks that have grown from the outside in. Find out how to calculate a whale’s age from its teeth.
The past is imprinted in various forms on all the objects on show in Lasting Impressions. Each exhibit contains evidence of a long-ago event, captured for visitors to see at close quarters.
This fossil shows how an ammonite sealed off the chambers in its shell as it grew. Ammonites, extinct relatives of the octopus and squid, could be found in the oceans 250–65 million years ago.
You can see two preserved molar teeth in this fossilised palate of a stegodont – an extinct relative of the elephant. The low crowns of the teeth suggest these animals lived on soft vegetation.
The holes on this slab, which was found in Cheshire and dates from the Triassic period, are thought to be the footprints of an early dinosaur. The ripple marks were made by waves on a sandy beach 200 million years ago.
Close examination of its horns can tell you the age of the Bezoar goat. The animals grow a new section of horn every year, which is marked by distinct ridges.
