The head of a pre-historic pterosaur preserved in amber has been valued at £4 million for an upcoming “evolution auction”.

The extinct flying lizard is among 12 lots which are said to offer buyers a glimpse of life on earth from millions of years ago.

Other pieces up for grabs include a giant millipede also caught in liquid amber, a Cretaceous-era scorpion and the skull of a Mosasaurus – a long-extinct giant aquatic carnivore.

“All of a sudden, the Jurassic Park storyline is a lot more believable," said Errol Fuller, natural history curator at Summers Place Auctions in Billingshurst, where the sale will take place.

He added: “One hundred-million-year-old amber has fabulously preserved flora and fauna with high transparency and preservation as well as many good-sized pieces that facilitate the study of a specimen’s habitat.”

On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Show all 15 1 /15 On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives The 'Stunningly beautiful, but a bit stupid' blue-eyed black lemur ALAMY On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Endangered young Grey shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix cinerea © H Lansdown / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Hoolock Gibbon Bunopithecus hoolock female on the tree canopy in northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh © Indian Gypsy / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Hoolock Gibbon Bunopithecus hoolock female on the tree canopy in northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh © Indian Gypsy / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Sumatran orangutan pongo abelii great ape © tbkmedia.de / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Sumatran orangutan pongo abelii great ape © Top-Pics TBK / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Sumatran orangutan © Photoshot Holdings Ltd / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Silky Sifaka (Propithecus candidus) © Kevin Schafer / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Cross River Gorilla © Orokiet / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Young Delacour's langur Trachypithecus delacouri. © Terry Whittaker / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Golden-headed langur (Trachypithecus p. poliocephalus) © Terry Whittaker / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Golden-headed langur (Trachypithecus p. poliocephalus) © Terry Whittaker / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Lepilemur septentrionalis A & J Visage / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Silky Sifaka (Propithecus candidus) © Kevin Schafer / Alamy On the brink of extinction – 25 of our closest relatives Silky Sifaka (Propithecus candidus) © Kevin Schafer / Alamy

Not all the lots require a millionaire buyer: a tiny snake and giant millipede caught in amber and weighing just 3.03g is on sale with a guide price of up to £120,000, as is a mysterious long-necked eared animal – or possibly two – with skulls and claws and listed as Cretaceous Tetrapod(s).

All the lots were found in the Hukawng Valley in Myanmar except for a single lot which comes from a mine in nearby Chung Wa.

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The seller’s identity has not been disclosed, although it is said all money will go to funding further research.