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National Museum of Natural History

Researchers at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History traveled the world and made many new discoveries this year—including 18 new species of pelican spiders. (Nikolai Scharff)

Check Out Some of Our Most Popular Discoveries From 2018

Celebrate the new year with some of our most popular scientific discoveries from 2018.

A new exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History reveals how millions of years ago, large-scale natural forces created the condition for real-life sea monsters to thrive in the South Atlantic Ocean basin shortly after it formed. “Sea Monsters Unearthed” offers visitors the opportunity to dive into Cretaceous Angola’s cool coastal waters, examine the fossils of striking marine reptiles that once lived there, and learn about the forces that continue to mold life in the ocean and on land. (Smithsonian Institution)

Ever Wonder how Exhibits are Made? Here's Your Answer.

Exhibit writer Juliana Olsson and intern Myria Perez reflect on the years of work that led to the opening of "Sea Monsters Unearthed" at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

The seeds of common poppy (Papaver rhoeas) only germinate when the soil in which they live is disturbed. Intense fighting during World War I decimated Europe’s physical environment, causing thousands of poppies to bloom where battles once raged. (Gary Houston, CC0 1.0)

100 Years Ago, Poppies Became More Than Just Flowers

Here's how the poppy came to symbolize World War I.

African Bush Elephant, Skeleton Coast, Namib Desert, Namibia by Arby Lipman. Winner of “African Wildlife.” (© Arby Lipman, Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2018)

Check out the Winning Photos From the 2018 Nature’s Best Photography Awards

60 stunning photographs depicting the beauty and diversity of nature are on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History through September 2019.

The newly opened Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University preserves and displays Israel’s natural heritage. (David Furth, Smithsonian Institution)

Here’s How the Smithsonian Helped Develop the Middle East’s First Natural History Museum

The Middle East’s first comprehensive natural history museum recently opened with help from the Smithsonian.

The Smithsonian embedded the first Ceratosaurus ever discovered in the wall of the National Museum of Natural History in 1911. It remained stuck in the wall for more than 100 years. (Smithsonian Institution)

A Smithsonian Dino-Celebrity Finally Tells All

The Smithsonian’s <i>Ceratosaurus</i> is finally giving up its secrets as it prepares for a long fight with a <i>Stegosaurus</i> in the “David H. Koch Hall of Fossils – Deep Time,” opening June 8, 2019.

A fossil sea turtle skull excavated from Angola’s coastal cliffs. A cast of this fossil will be featured in “Sea Monsters Unearthed,” opening November 9 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. (Hillsman S. Jackson, Southern Methodist University)

Q&A: Sea Monsters in Our Ancient Oceans Were Strangely Familiar

Stunning fossils reveal that Angola's ancient ocean ecosystem was at once strange and familiar.

The Nation’s T. rex decapitating a Triceratops in its new pose as the centerpiece of the

An Elegy for Hatcher the Triceratops

Named in honor of the discovering paleontologist, Hatcher introduced <i>Triceratops</i> to the world, and was a pillar of the Smithsonian community for 113 years.

C. David de Santana and his team exploring the Javari River on the border of Brazil and Peru on a misty morning. (Douglas Bastos)

Discovery and Danger: The Shocking Fishes of the Amazon's Final Frontier

Smithsonian Scientist races to discover and study the mysterious fishes of the Amazon's final frontier.

The Nation’s T. rex decapitating a Triceratops in its new pose as the centerpiece of the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils – Deep Time, a 31,000-square-foot dinosaur and fossil exhibit slated to open June 8, 2019. (Smithsonian Institution)

Q&A: Smithsonian Dinosaur Expert Helps T. rex Strike a New Pose

The Nation's T. rex is back at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in a striking new pose.

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