Elephant skull, Rhino skull and Pangolin, Tate Hall Museum, VG&M, 2020 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

 

Skull of asian Elephant and his relatives.
Though they look and act radically different, elephants, dugongs and rock hyrax share a common ancestor – Tethytheria – which died out more than 50 million years ago. This has been long enough for the animals to travel down very different evolutionary paths. 
Current research and molecular evidence indicate that elephants are more closely related to dugongs and manatees than they are to hyraxes.
 
The rock hyrax is a small, furry herbivore native to Africa and the Middle East and the dugong is a medium-sized marine mammal found in tropical waters. Natural Natural at the VG&M at the VG&M NaturalHistory History History Adventures Adventures Adventures at the VG&M

 

Pangolin
Pangolins are the world’s most illegally trafficked animal.
Pangolins are specialised nocturnal mammals  that feed on ants and termites. They are nicknamed the ‘scaly anteater’ despite not being related to anteaters at all.  They have overlapping horny scales which grow from their thick underlying skin. 
In 2016, pangolins were given the highest level of protection by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). 
This small, shy animal is the most trafficked animal in the world, with at least 300 being poached in Asia and Africa every day.

 

White Rhinoceros

Rhino horns grow as much as eight centimeters a year, and have been known to grow up to one and a half meters long. 
The prominent horn for which rhinos are so well known has been their downfall. Since March 2018, there are only two rhinos of the northern white species left, both of which are female.  They live in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and are protected around-the-clock by armed guards.