Museum Stories

MUSEUM STORIES

Learn about some of the Museum's treasures, and discover specimens from our behind-the-scenes collections.

Arthropods and their huge diversity of size

Encounter arthropods and their staggering diversity. The size difference between the smallest and largest arthropods...

Encounter arthropods and their staggering diversity. The size difference between the smallest and largest arthropods is greater than that between the Earth and the Sun.

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Biodiversity research at Wytham Woods

Find out more about the fifty years of biodiversity research at Wytham Woods through a closer look at badger population...

Find out more about the fifty years of biodiversity research at Wytham Woods through a closer look at badger population studies.

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Classifying the abundance of life

One way to measure biodiversity is to record the number of species – but what do we mean by this?

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Conserving Oxford's swifts

Find out more about the recovery programme local to the Museum to tackle rapid decline of the Common Swift.

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Earth’s five mass extinctions

Discover what we mean when we talk about mass extinctions through a timeline that explores the five mass extinction...

Discover what we mean when we talk about mass extinctions through a timeline that explores the five mass extinction events in Earth’s history.

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How to categorise coral

Explore the Kingdom of Animalia and discover how to categorise a coral.

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Networks of animal interactions

Animals live in dynamic networks interacting with the other species their environment.

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Reading the Tree of Life

The astounding diversity we see today – from bacteria to barnacles, people to plants – is all connected.

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Shell variation in molluscs

Spiral through the forms of molluscs and learn how bivalve shells protect coastlines as well as the organisms ...

Spiral through the forms of molluscs and learn how bivalve shells protect coastlines as well as the organisms inside.

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The colourful world of insects

Seeing life in colour with pigments and structural hues through a closer look at the colourful wings of insect...

Seeing life in colour with pigments and structural hues through a closer look at the colourful wings of insects.

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The incredible diversity of 'skin'

Introducing the many and varied forms of integument – the protective interface between a vertebrate and its ...

Introducing the many and varied forms of integument – the protective interface between a vertebrate and its environment.

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The tragedy of the Tasmanian Tiger

Discover why the future of biodiversity is in our hands, through a closer look at the story of the thylacine.

The Oxford Dodo

Meet one of the most famous extinct birds in the world

A palaeoart reconstruction of Megalosaurus bucklandii, the first dinosaur ever to be described by scientists.

The Oxfordshire dinosaurs

Come and see four species of dinosaurs discovered in Oxfordshire

Swifts in the tower

In the summer, the Museum tower is a nesting site for swifts

Beehive

Ever wondered what happens inside a beehive? Take a look at footage of the Museum bees at work.

Jones' Icones

Jones' Icones is one of the most beautiful and scientifically important works on butterfly and moth collections found in Britain

Ice Ages in Oxfordshire

The Pleistocene Epoch, more commonly referred to as the Ice Age, lasted from 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago. The Oxfordshire landscape is rich in Pleistocene fossils, thanks in a large part to the River Thames and its tributaries. By studying these fossils, we can reconstruct the Oxfordshire of the past, and learn more about how animal and plant species were able to respond to the Pleistocene's changing climate.

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.