Highlights from our geological collections include the fossil remains of locally found marine reptiles from the Jurassic period over 150 million years ago.
Collected locally from Jurassic Oxford Clay beds, these marine reptile fossils are of international importance and include unique specimens of Ichthyosaurs, Pliosaurs and Plesiosaurs. We also have a specimen of the largest fish that ever lived – Leedsichthys – and many other fossils that lived in the Jurassic seas, including long-extinct ammonites and belemnites.
As well as the Jurassic collection, the museum has a large and diverse geology collection containing fossils, rocks and minerals both from the local area and nationwide. Our Ice Age collection features the remains of creatures that lived during the last ice age, including woolly mammoths, giant reindeer, and even a hippopotamus.
The fossil fish collection contains the world's most complete specimen of the Jurassic giant Leedsichthys sp. in addition to examples of other Jurassic fish discovered in the local Oxford Clays including Caturus and Lepidotes sp.
Due to the unique preservation of fossils locally, specimens from the local Jurassic Oxford Clay have been the backbone of scientific research since the 19th century. the Marine Reptile collection holds internationally significant specimens including the holotype of Pachycostasaurus dawnii, and the most complete and three-dimensionally preserved specimen ofSimolestes vorax.
In addition to the wonderful fossil preserved from the Jurassic period, Peterborough also has local fossils from Pleistocene period or Ice Age. Elephants, rhinoceros, bison, reindeer are just some of the collection, in addition to the skeleton of the 117,000 year old Deeping Elephant, several skulls of woolly rhinoceras and the skeleton of the Whittlesey ox.
The stratigraphic collection contains examples of fossils from the Cambrian period up to the end of the Pleistocene period.
The mineral collection contains examples of minerals from all mineral groups, collected from around the world.
The rock collection contains rocks collected both locally including Alwalton marble and Collyweston slate in addition to examples from around the world.