Some things just haven’t changed through time, or their change is so slow so as not to be detectable. This makes some things very difficult to date using their appearance.
Some species haven’t evolved because they are well adapted to their environment, have no predators and have been extremely successful for millions of years.
Manufactured objects like tweezers, scales and spoons are so well suited to their purpose that there has been no reason for them to change, so they haven’t. These items are hopeless for dating so we have to rely on other means.
What our Visitors Think
’It’s very interesting and the children have enjoyed it. We’ve learned a lot and we liked being able to compare the same objects from different eras.’
’It’s good because there’s lots of stuff to do - you’re not just running round being bored!’
Visitors to Fingerprints of Time at the Yorkshire Museum, York