Specimens

Get ready for an encounter with one of the world's most extraordinary collections, captured in an array of startling photographs. Astonishing to look at, the massed ranks of jars and tanks in all shapes and sizes with their fascinating, sometimes shocking, contents are the fruit of centuries of scientific exploration to all parts of the globe. But more than that, these long dead animals are actually helping improve the chances of survival for their modern descendants.

The images of the plants and animals vary from a Komodo Dragon to plankton, snakes to brittle stars. Zoologists Roger Lincoln and Phil Rainbow give a lively insight to the specimens, explaining the details of preservation and highlighting how much of our planet's biodiversity still awaits recognition and taxonomic description. They show why this collection is used by scientists from all around the world, and reveal just why it is so vital to modern science and the study of biodiversity.