Geology

Worthing museum’s fossil collection reflects the changing environments of Sussex over millions of years of geological time. 

Xiphactinus Fossil

An insight into the collection

Material from the Cretaceous period, 145 to 66 million years ago, contains fossils from a time when the Tethys ocean covered the area. Ancient marine life on display include ammonites, belemnites, lobsters and echinoids together with the fierce, predatory, bony fish, Xiphactinus.

Jurassic marine reptiles including ichthyosaur and plesiosaur – the apex predators of their time are also held in the collection.

Quaternary period artefacts tell the story of ice age Sussex, including mammoth tusks and teeth, cave bear claws, sabre tooth cat teeth and wild horse fossils.