News / Bristol Museum
Huge fossil skull found by Mary Anning goes on display for first time in 30 years
A new permanent exhibition at Bristol Museum of a fossil of a giant sea creature who lived 190m years ago is being joined for a few months with a temporary exhibition about the pioneering fossil hunter who found it.
The huge fossil skull of a type of ichthyosaur called a temnodontosaurus was found by Mary Anning on a beach in her hometown of Lyme Regis in Dorset when she was just 14.
The skull has been in Bristol Museum’s collection since 1845 when it was purchased in a sale from Hotwells fossil collector James Johnson – but this is the first time it has gone on display for more than 30 years due to its complex conservation needs.
is needed now More than ever
The ichthyosaur skull has been in Bristol Museum’s collection since 1845 but has not been on display for over 30 years – photo: Martin Booth
The skull is now on display at the Making Waves exhibition in a glass case having previously been mounted in mortar in a wooden box for more than 100 years, with the lower portion hidden.
Several deep tooth marks were found on either side of the skull during the recent conservation work, suggesting that the 7m-long ichthyosaur was eaten by an even larger creature.
“It was an honour to work on a fossil found by Mary Anning, particularly one she found when so young,” said palaeontological conservator, Nigel Larkin.
“Even though the fossil is very large, heavy and fragile, it is a thing of beauty.
“To find new information about the specimen when working on it, especially regarding how these ancient animals interacted with one another, was the icing on the cake and one of the highlights of my career.”
A maquette of a statue of Mary Anning in Lyme Regis is on display until the end of April – photo: Martin Booth
On the ground floor of the museum is a specially commissioned life-size reconstruction of a complete temnodontosaurus skull by sculptor and artist, Tone Hitchcock – photo: Martin Booth
Women who are working in geoscience today are also being celebrated through four short films produced by Latent Pictures that focus on four inspirational scientists.
A range of fossils, palaeontology tools and manuscripts, including a letter from Mary Anning, are on display next to the skull.
Until April 30, these are joined by a small model – known as a maquette – of a statue of Mary Anning that was unveiled in Lyme Regis in 2022 after a campaign by Mary Anning Rocks.
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Main photo: Martin Booth
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