Dr Mark Jonathan Beech, Acting Geoscience Section Head, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, gave a lecture entitled “Life During the Late Miocene of Arabia: 7 Million Years Ago” at the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, on 5 October 2026.

This was organised by the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute – in collaboration with Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi

Around seven million years ago, Abu Dhabi was home to a very different landscape and remarkable animal life. Drawing on fossil discoveries from the Al Dhafra region, this presentation explores the making of a new gallery at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi dedicated to the emirate’s Late Miocene past. Through fossils, scientific research, and detailed reconstructions, the gallery brings this prehistoric environment to life and highlights the significance of Abu Dhabi’s palaeontological heritage.