The jawbone and other fossils from Megalosaurus were first discovered in Stonesfield and is on display at the Museum of Natural History Oxford. No complete skeleton of Megalosaurus has ever been found, and yet palaeontologists know a lot more about the species now than they did in 1824 when William Buckland first wrote about it.
During the 200 years since Megalosaurus was named, scientists have gathered clues from more complete remains of similar dinosaurs, such as Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus, as well as trace fossils like the animal’s tracks. From this evidence, scientists studying Megalosaurus have been able to determine that this agile predator walked upright on two legs and grew up to nine metres in length.
The Breaking Ground exhibition shows what the colourful archives of William and Mary Buckland reveal about science, status and society.
Through the expansive finding of fossils and development of new techniques and methods, the 19th century transformed our understanding of the history of Earth. Breaking Ground explores these themes through William Buckland, geologist and palaeontologist, and Mary Buckland (née Morland), the a scientific illustrator, the couple at the heart of this exhibition. They both helped to establish new scientific methods and ideas, which led to fascinating discoveries in palaeontology, including the first ever dinosaur to be named to science.
Click to find out more about ‘Breaking Ground’.
Ends Monday 29 September 2025
10:00 – 17:00
No booking required.
Museum of Natural History Oxford
Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3PW