Welcome to the fossils homepage in the learning zone!

Fossils are among the most fascinating objects in nature, giving us an idea of how animals and plants lived in the past. Just click on one of the links to find out more.

What is a fossil?
What are fossils? What do fossils tell us about the past? How do fossils form? Different types of fossil.

The history of life
When did life appear on Earth? Imagine squashing all of geological time into a single year. Investigate the geological timescale and interactive map.

Invertebrate I.D.
Most fossil collections are made up of different invertebrate fossils. Learn to identify them and find out more about them..

Megan the Megalosaurus

Megan the Megalosaurus recommends exploring Britain with our Interactive map, sending us your Dino-jokes, or trying one of our Games.