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

The thermostat's reading Pleistocene at the @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social.

Heading to @nhmlibraryarchives.bsky.social today on the trail of this woman: Gertrude Elles, graptolite palaeontologist extraordinare. Left: the young Victorian hammer-wielder, from a photo in the @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social. Right: her sagely postwar portrait at Newnham College, Cambridge.

Behind the Scenes at the Sedgwick Museum. 🦖 We explored our Collections Team’s favourite specimens, the archive and the evolution of scientific ideas with @richardfallon.bsky.social. We heard from @jackdashby.bsky.social about his new book on Natural History Museums. Thank you for coming!

A beautiful microscope in the @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social collections connected — although we're not yet sure in what manner — with Gertrude Elles.

Sedgwick Museum Lates: Behind the Scenes uncovered Free, 18+ evening event. Thursday 20th November, 6-9pm Delve into our work behind the scenes. Featuring @jackdashby.bsky.social ‘in conversation’ as we discuss his book ‘Nature’s Memory, Behind The Scenes at the World’s Natural History Museums’.

CALLING ALL #CAMBRIDGE MUSEUM & NATURAL HISTORY NERDS! This Thursday, the fabulous @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social opens late for "Behind the Scenes Uncovered" - alongside a bunch of cool activities, I'll be doing an "in-conversation" about my book #NaturesMemory. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sedgwick-m...

A look back at our Gravel Hunters workshops @dinoconuk.bsky.social this year. We’re so proud to have redesigned this fascinating learning resource created by @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social. The resource pack is free to download from the Sedgwick Museum’s website🦑🪸

Walking down the Madingley Road today I'll be sure to look out for ichthyosaurs. In the @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social, of course.

Interested in developing your career in archives management?  Keen to contribute to delivering a high quality service to archive users, and a great communicator? This role could be for you. Further information: www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/archive...

A Planorbis discus from the Bembridge Limestone of the Isle of Wight, presented to the @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social by none other than Lord Tennyson. There rolls the deep where grew the tree!

23 September 1835: Mary Anning writes to Cambridge geologist Adam Sedgwick in Dent, Yorkshire, anxious to hear that the £50 ichthyosaur she sent him earlier in the month, ℅ the Geological Society, met with his approval. It clearly did and it is still in the collections @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social

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

What will you discover this #SummerAtTheMuseums? ☀️🔎🔭🎨💎🦖 Check out our full summer events calendar online from today! Browse all events and book your place: museums.cam.ac.uk/theme/summer

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

Sign up for family fun this #SummerAtTheMuseums! 💌 ☀️ 🗓️ Enjoy a great value day out with your family at local museums this summer. Join us to spark your imagination, explore big topics and enjoy time together. Sign up to hear when the full events calendar launches: bit.ly/SummerAtTheMuseums

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

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

Do you know how many species of trilobites have roamed the Earth? 🌍   Over their 250 million-year existence, there were over 20,000 different species! During their long history, they diversified into many species with different sizes, habitats, and anatomy.     #TrilobiteTuesday #SedgwickMusem

“Minerals are from the Earth and the Earth belongs to everyone. So everyone should be welcome in society.” – Y10 work experience student, 2022

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

Did you know bivalve fossils can provide information about past environments? 🌊 Michael and Julia, from the University of Cologne, have been studying fossil bivalves in our collection to understand if bivalve morphology is linked to the environmental conditions in which they lived.   #FossilFriday

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

What kind of labour gets recognised, when we think about minerals in museums? Who do we involve in recovering and telling their stories? Helpful prompts from @ellietheelement.bsky.social in @originalgcg.bsky.social EDI symposium this morning, relevant to our thinking @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social

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

🎉 The latest issue of GeoCam is here! Meet our new Head of Department, uncover fascinating research, hear alumni stories, explore student mapping trips, and enjoy vibrant updates from @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social 📖 Read in full here: www.esc.cam.ac.uk/alumni/alumn...

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

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

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

Overall, the @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social is working to make being LGBTQ+ mainstream rather than marginal in Earth science 🏳️‍🌈 #LGBTHistoryMonth #LGBTQ+HistoryMonth

Our LGBTQ+ history tours @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social share stores of LGBTQ+ scientists linked to the museum, such as Jon Cutbill and Franz Nopcsa. These stories challenge stereotypes, presnet new role models, build awareness and solidarity, increase the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in geoscience🏳️‍🌈

Instead of just focusing in recruitment as a means to address lack of diversity, we need to work hard to change the working culture within geoscience departments. University museums like @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social have an important role to play here. 🏳️‍🌈

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! ⚗️🔭🧪🔬👩‍🔬#IDWGS #IDWGD2025 #WomeninSTEM #HisSci #HistSTEM #Trailblazers #Trowelblazers #ExploreYourArchive

What’s the story behind this fascinating rock? It is laminated layers of shales and jaspers found in North West Queensland, Australia, formed 500 million years ago. These colourful layers do not align because they have been faulted (fractured and displaced). #TectonicTuesday #Faulting #Geology

What do you picture when you think about archives? 📚 Many people envisage archives as forgotten piles of paper and books covered in cobwebs. With these pictures of the Sedgwick Museum Archive, managed by Sandra Freshney, we hope to dispel these myths! #DustBusters #ThrowbackThursday #Archives

Ever wondered what happens to rocks under pressure? 🪨 Deformation is the change rocks undergo when force (known as stress) is applied to them. Factors like the rate of stress, temperature, and pressure influence the type of deformation that occurs. #TectonicTuesday #RockDeformation #Geology

Do you know what mineral made this megalodon tooth so big and strong? It is called Apatite. As well as strengthening our bones and teeth, apatite is a key mineral in the fossilisation process. The apatite coating can be seen on the tooth with a section in the centre stripped away. #MineralMonday

How can you move a mountain? 🗻 The Sedgwick Museum is in the final stages of relocating our collection to the Collections Research Centre. Approximately 150 tonnes of rock have been sent to their new home. It's like moving a mountain, one piece at a time. #MoveAMountainMonday #CollectionsMove