Natural History Museum

Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) Sir Hans Sloane was a doctor who collected curiosities with a passion. Although he always hoped society would benefit, he would be astonished at the scale of the enterprise he started. Hans Sloane was one of the great men of early 18th-century London, a wealthy and popular physician to high society and royalty. But it was the natural sciences, especially botany, which fired his interest. In his long life, he amassed one of the greatest ever private collections of plants, animals, antiquities, coins and other curios. It was to be the founding core of the British Museum and later the Natural History Museum. The sheer size of Sloane's collection was astounding. By the time of his death his herbarium had grown to fill 265 huge, leather-bound volumes. His zoological collections contained over 21,000 specimens ranging from birds' eggs to grisly human relics. Alongside these was a massive hoard of fossils, gemstones, rocks, minerals, ores, metals, medals, coins and antiquities. But the library was perhaps the crowning glory. It contained almost 50,000 bound volumes, and an impressive collection of manuscripts and drawings. Sloane ensured, through his will, that his collection would continue to delight and inform the public. He appointed 60 trustees to request King and Parliament to buy his collection for the nation for the low sum of 20,000, payable to his two daughters. The British Museum Act (1753) raised the money for the collection and a new home for it. At this time there was no model in England, or indeed in Europe, for such an institution. Sloane hoped his collection would be the nucleus of a major national public museum, but even he could not have guessed at the scale of the enterprises that resulted - the British Museum and Natural History Museum, with their millions upon millions of objects and books. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) Charles Darwin transformed the way we understand the natural world with his revolutionary ideas. The classic English country gentleman, Darwin seems an unlikely figure to create a controversy. He had developed a radical theory that brought him into conflict with a very traditional establishment the Anglican Church. History has vindicated him and he is now celebrated as one of the greatest and most innovative scientists who ever lived.

To this day, Darwins theory of evolution by natural selection is widely accepted, and explains the distant origins and fantastic variety of life on Earth. Born in 1809, Darwin was fascinated by all living things from a young age. While growing up he was an avid reader of nature books and devoted his spare time to exploring the fields around his home, collecting plants and insects. In 1825 he became a medical student at the University of Edinburgh but was so traumatised by an operation performed on a child without anaesthetic that he gave up his studies without completing the course. He then went to Cambridge University to study theology. Darwin graduated four years later, but was in no hurry to take holy orders. Instead, he set off on a journey that was to change his life, and much more besides. Drawing of HMS Beagle from 'A Naturalist's Voyage Round the World' 1912 by Charles Darwin In 1831 Darwin embarked on a five year voyage aboard the Beagle. The ship sailed to South America to carry out surveying work. Darwin, who had been recommended by one of his Cambridge professors, had a joint role as naturalist and companion to the ships captain, Robert FitzRoy. Darwin explored remote regions and marvelled at a world so different from the one he knew. He encountered birds with bright blue feet, sharks with T-shaped heads and oversized tortoises. Everywhere he went, Darwin amassed plants, animals and fossils, and took copious notes. These collections and records were to provide the clues he needed to develop his remarkable theory. A methodical and industrious scholar, Darwin spent years analysing his specimens. Darwin realised that evolution occurs by the process of natural selection. The fittest animals or plants those with the characteristics best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. They pass on these desirable characteristics to their offspring. Gradually those features become more common, causing the species to change over time. If the changes are great enough, they could produce a new species altogether. Darwin had collected some finches from the Galpagos Islands, which helped him to formulate his idea. Some had stout beaks for eating seeds, others were insect specialists. Darwin realised that they were descendents of a single ancestor. As they dispersed to different islands, the birds had adapted to eat the various foods available. Natural selection had produced 13 different species. Although Darwins theory has been modified over time, it remains fundamental to the study of life sciences. But the controversy still exists.
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There are some who don't agree with Darwin's theory being taught in school biology classes. However the theory of evolution is accepted by the scientific community as the best, evidence-based explanation for the diversity and complexity of life on Earth. Darwin changed not only the way we see plants and animals, but also the way we see ourselves. The animals and plants he collected form part of our national heritage and many are held at the Museum. Guide to Dinosaurs Amargasaurus Ligabuesaurus Pisanosaurus Patagosaurus Carnotaurus

Diplodocus With its cathedral-like structure, frescoes and sculptures, the Museum's Central Hall forms a fantastic backdrop to some of the highlights of the Museum's collection including a Diplodocus skeleton and a 1,300-year-old giant sequoia. Charles Darwin's famous statue sits at the top of the hall's grand staircase. Dont worry its a plant eater. The Diplodocus dinosaur lived 150 million years ago and, at 26 metres, was one of the longest land animals ever to live. This replica skeleton was presented to the Museum in 1905. Animatronic Triceratops skeleton Meet a terrifying T.rex, unearth Baryonyx bones and inspect the Triceratops skeleton in our world-renowned Dinosaurs gallery. Sort the facts from the myths about why dinosaurs died out and delve into our research and discoveries about these prehistoric giants. With its sharp beak and huge horns, the Triceratops looked ferocious, but this enormous beast only used its powerful teeth on vegetation, and was the most abundant plant-eater of its time.