Access to the iconic building, located in the heart of London, is no longer simply a transit to the exhibits. Now, visitors are greeted with a path that summarises the natural evolution of the planet in a way that captures the attention of curious citizens who visit the museum daily. Keith Jenningsthe museum’s project director, acknowledges the challenge of communicating such a long time period. “It’s complicated trying to explain a time as far back as 2.7 billion years,” he says. At that time, life on Earth was exclusively microbial, with no trace of the plants or animals we know today.
Visitors at the new entrance to the Natural History Museum in London. / EFE
The new entry
The trail, lined with ancient rocks and vegetation such as ferns, reflects crucial eras in the planet’s history, such as the Pennsylvanian period, when coal forests were destroyed due to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Each meter traveled on this trail represents about five million years, a scale that allows visitors to understand catastrophic events such as volcanic eruptions and mass extinctions.
At the halfway point of the tour, visitors encounter an imposing replica of the skeleton of a Diplodocus dinosaur, nicknamed Fern. This herbivorous sauropod, 22 meters long and four meters highis a major attraction, especially for those looking for the perfect photo: “Visitors can walk around it and even go underneath it, something that is not possible inside the museum,” notes Jennings, allowing one to imagine the real size of these giants that dominated the Earth during the Mesozoic era.
The dinosaur that every visitor wants to take a photo with. / EFE
Throughout the tour, the coexistence of dinosaurs with other life forms is highlighted, such as a small shrew-like creature hiding in the garden, a symbol of life that survived until the mass extinction caused by a meteorite impact 66 million years ago. The story continues with the recovery of life after the asteroid collision. Jennings points out how flowering plants began to appear at that time, followed by the first primates and, eventually, humans. “We’ve been here for a short period of time, just a few steps to the door,” Jennings reflects, highlighting the transience of human presence in Earth’s history, equivalent to two million years on the scale of the museum.
The challenge of global warming
The tour also addresses human influence on the future of the planet, especially in relation to climate change. The museum anticipates a future in which global warming will allow plants typical of Mediterranean climates, such as figs, almond trees and olive trees, to be grown in England. Jennings highlights the challenge of global warming and the need for adaptationregardless of whether environmental targets are met or not. This ties in with the latest UN report, which warns that current action plans are insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rise to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Despite the challenges, Jennings maintains an optimistic outlook: “At the museum, we are optimistic that the goals will be met and that both the planet and humanity will survive. It’s a hopeful story we’re telling here.”
