Jurassic and Cretaceous collections

Bucks was under the sea for much of this time (200 – 65 million years ago) so we have lots of sea creatures from ammonites to giant sea monsters such as Pliosaurs.

Ice Age collections

In the last 2 million years there have been massive climate changes from very cold to very warm leading to a range of animals including colder climate mammoths and woolly Rhinos, to warmer climate animals such as hippos and straight-tusked elephants. The Marsworth collection excavated from Pitstone Quarry (now College Lake nature reserve) in the 1980s has significant mammal finds of over 1600 teeth and bones including the earliest evidence of woolly Mammoths in Britain.

Rocks and mineral collection

In addition to major rock types, there are more localised examples such as fuller’s earth and puddingstone. We also have small number of local minerals including marcasite, chalcedony and selenite.