Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi has claimed a Guinness World Records title for the largest LEGO brick model of a prehistoric mammal, with a life-scale recreation of Stegotetrabelodon emiratus, a four-tusked elephant that roamed the region 7 to 8 million years ago.
The model measures 3.489 metres tall, 5.626 metres long, and 2.173 metres wide, built from 748,000 LEGO bricks over 585 hours. Around 17,000 visitors contributed to the build as part of LEGO SHOWS Natural Brickstory, a limited-run exhibition currently open at the museum.
“Natural history belongs to all of us, and this record shows what a community can achieve when it comes together around it. Stegotetrabelodon emiratus roamed this land millions of years ago, yet few people outside the scientific world knew its name. Today, families across the UAE have helped bring it back to life, brick by brick, and it has earned a place in the public’s hearts and minds. That shared pride in our natural heritage is what this museum hopes to inspire, and we are grateful to everyone who played a part,” Professor Peter C. Kjærgaard, Director of Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi said in a statement.
Stegotetrabelodon emiratus has particular significance for Abu Dhabi. In November 2002, Dr. Mark Beech unearthed a fossilised upper tusk near Ruwais in the Al Dhafra region measuring 2.54 metres from base to tip, identified as the largest Miocene fossil ever found on the Arabian Peninsula.
The museum’s permanent collection also includes leg bones of a large adult found at Umm al-Ishtan and a partial skeleton of a sub-adult excavated at Shuwaihat.
“When I discovered the fossilised tusk of Stegotetrabelodon emiratus near Ruwais in 2002, it was a remarkable reminder of just how different Abu Dhabi’s landscape was millions of years ago. These extraordinary animals, with their four tusks and immense size, tell us an important story about the evolution of elephants and the rich biodiversity that once existed in this region. Seeing this prehistoric giant brought to life through a record-breaking LEGO brick model creation more than two decades later is particularly special. It is a wonderful example of how scientific discoveries can continue to inspire curiosity, creativity, and new generations to explore Abu Dhabi’s natural heritage,” Dr. Mark Beech, Acting Geoscience Section Head at Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi added.
The exhibition runs daily from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm on weekdays, with extended hours until 8:30 pm on weekends, through 8 November 2026. The record comes as the museum approaches its first anniversary on 22 November 2026.
