Brasier Collection

BRASIER COLLECTION

The Brasier Collection housed in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History represents the lifelong work of the late Professor Martin Brasier, who was a pioneer in the study of early life. The collection comprises priceless specimens, including a variety of microfossils, and their associated documentation.

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Molluscs

The abundance and wide distribution of molluscs across the globe, along with their longevity in the fossil record, make them useful markers for biostratigraphy. The fossilised remains of molluscs (along with other taxonomic groups) can be used to establish the relative age of the rock surrounding them...

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Ediacaran Biota

It was once thought that the Cambrian Explosion, 541 million years ago, marked the first appearance of complex life on Earth. However, a wide range of fossils has since been found in older, Precambrian rocks...

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The First Reefs

In the modern-day, the word “reef” conjures up images of vibrant, warm-water corals and the wide range of fish and other species that they support. However, reefs can be found in the geological record long before the evolution of modern coral species...

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Eozoon

The ability to distinguish between true fossils like stromatolites, and pseudofossils like Eozoon, is important to the study of the history of life on Earth and will be key if we ever find structures on other planets that might, or might not, be evidence of life...

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Archaeocyathids

The archaeocyathids are a rather obscure group of calcifying sponges. They were abundant during the early Cambrian, but declined in diversity and abundance during the late Cambrian, with the last species going extinct...

The late Professor Martin Brasier was a member of the Department of Earth Sciences here at Oxford University and was an expert in the early evolution of life on Earth. His research collection, now stored here at the museum, contains over 10,000 rocks and fossils from all over the world. Collections like these are vital to the research work of the museum and of visiting academics, and we hope that the specimens of the Brasier Collection will be a valuable resource for the future study of early life.

Brasier Collection

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