A staff member holding the horseshoe crab specimen. Behind it the cabinet containing the other Solnhofen specimens can be seen. The crab itself is the size of a palm and it’s main body is a characteristic horseshoe shape with a long tail.

A close up of the horseshoe crab showing in more detail the exceptional preservation of the specimen. It looks like a perfect impression of the animal.

The first #FossilFriday of 2026 is this beautifully preserved horseshoe crab.
 
This horseshoe crab is from the Limulus genus and was found in Solnhofen, a site known for its exceptional preservation of fossils.
 
#FossilFriday #HorsehoeCrab #Palaeontology #SedgwickMuseum #Solnhofen

An igneous rock with a large biotite crystal held in the hand of a Sedgwick Museum staff member. The crystal is so large, it is all you can see from this angle. It is green-back in colour but appears black in the image. Its sheet- like texture can be seen on its surface.

The same rock held at an angle that allows you to see other crystals in it. The other crystals are pink and white I colour. Another angle shows the sheet like texture of biotite from the side. The thin sheet layers can be seen clearly.

Today’s #MineralMonday is Biotite.
 
Biotite is a silicate mineral which is usually found in igneous or metamorphic rocks and commonly black or dark green in colour. It is a mica mineral which gives it the characteristic property of fracturing into fine, flexible sheets.
 
#Biotite #SedgwickMuseum

Museums around the world: The Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge (Part 5: Allosaurus)

#dinosaurs #book #books #museum #museummoment #sedgwickmuseum #cambridge

More about dinosaurs in my book "The Lost World of the Dinosaurs"
Get a signed copy of my book here:
www.grossartigegiganten.de/product/1927...

Pecten maximum held up outside the Museum with the building in the background. The fossil shell is the width of two of the staff member’s hands holding it up. It is an orangy-red colour. There are beautiful ridges in the shell.

A closer look at the fossil shell. A few marks can be seen on the shell which look like they were barnacles.

This majestic fossil shell is a #StaffFavourite. 🌊🐚
 
Commonly known as a scallop, this shell belongs to the Pectinidae family.

This fossil is approximately 3 million years old but Pecten maximus can still be found along the English coast today.
 
#Pectinidae #Bivalve #SedgwickMuseum

A window on which is our collaborative artwork. There are black letters stating ‘Everybody’s Welcome’ around them are a collage of coloured acetate paper. Some is different colours others have rocks under a microscope printed on them.

Visitors sitting and making their contribution to the collaborative artwork. There is microscopes through which you can look at minerals under a microscope. These were used as inspiration for the art.

We had a wonderful time celebrating Pride Month on Wednesday with everyone who attended our late opening, ‘Rock Up and Chill'. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🦖

Thank you to everyone who attended the event and contributed to our collaborative artwork.

#PrideMonth #RockUpAndChill #QueerHistory #SedgwickMuseum #EarthSciences

A cut and polished stromatolite fossil held up in front of the Museum building.

A close up of the stromatolite fossil showing the layers and domes formed within. The layers are no more than a mm thick.

How old are the oldest known fossils?
 
This fossil is called a stromatolite which are the most ancient known fossils dating back approximately 3.5 billion years. Stromatolites were among the earliest lifeforms on our planet.
 
#Stromatolites #SedgwickMuseum #EarthSciences #EarthHistory

A photograph of a skull belonging to an alligatoroid with the generic name of Dyplocynodon. The skull is sitting in a museum cabinet with other specimens on the shelf just below.

The Diplocynodon skull photographed at a closer angle to see the teeth in more detail. Other specimens in the cabinet can be seen in the background.

This toothy grin could once have been found in parts of England 35 million years ago. 🐊
 
This fascinating fossil is an extinct relative of the alligator and is thought to have enjoyed a similar diet of fish, mammals and birds. Its generic name is Diplocynodon.
 
#SedgwickMuseum #EarthSciences

#Humpday should also have included this picture of inside of brochure for #Jurrasic #GrandArcade #SedgwickMuseum #GreaterCambridgeArea #Cambridge

A Gryphaea fossil held by a Sedgwick Museum staff member. The fossil is positioned standing up so we can see the two valves showing the characteristic curved thick walls.

A Gryphaea fossil held by a Sedgwick Museum staff member. The fossil is positioned side on so we can see the curve of the shell which is very reminiscent of a toenail.

Did you know this fossil is commonly referred to as a ‘Devil’s toenail’?

Gryphaea got the name ‘Devil’s toenail’ from British folklore. They were associated with the Devil due to their characteristic large, thick, curved shells that resemble toenails.
 
#MolluscMonday #SedgwickMuseum #EarthSciences

A close up of a crinoid fossil slab. The slab contains multiple crinoid fossils that look a bit like stone lilies.

A close up of a crinoid fossil slab. The slab contains multiple crinoid fossils that look a bit like stone lilies. This slab is darker in colour than the first one with more crinoids visible.

These fascinating fossils look like intricate works of art. 🖼️
 
Even though they have been entombed in stone for over 150 million years, these delicate creatures look as if they are still swaying with the currents of the sea. 🌊
 
#FossilFriday #Crinoids #SedgwickMuseum #EarthSciences

A folded amphibolite being held up in front of a wall of 13 other rocks. The amphibolite is grey with darker grey bands in it. The bands are folded in an undulating way. The rock wall behind is brown in colour and there is an array of rocks displayed. Some are folded and others are fractured.

Did you know that, under the right conditions, rocks can bend?
 
For today’s #TectonicTuesday, here are some folds in banded amphibolite found in Norway.

Studying the geometry of folds can help us understand the deformation history of rocks.
 
#TectonicTuesday #SedgwickMuseum #EarthSciences

The Friends of the Sedgwick Museum posing for a group photo. There are 24 of them standing underneath Iggy our Iguanodon who has been lit with orange and pink lighting for the occasion.

To mark the 240th Birthday of Adam Sedgwick, the Friends of the Sedgwick Museum attended a celebratory drinks reception followed by their annual dinner.
 
To learn more about becoming a member, head to our website and click ‘Support Us’.

#FriendsOfTheMuseum #SedgwickMuseum #AdamSedgwick #Geology

Kaia, a visiting researcher, measuring a coelacanth fossil. She is using a digital calliper. There is a camera set up above the fossil to enable Kaia to take photos of the specimen.

A close up of the Coelacanth Kaia is studying. It is sitting on a white background.

Our collection is regularly used by an array of researchers. 🔬

Here is Kaia, a Masters student at UCL, measuring a fossil coelacanth from the Cretaceous which was found in Maidstone, Kent. Kaia studied a variety of bony fish to inform her research. 🐟

#SedgwickMuseum #CollectionsResearch