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National Museum of Natural History

South American rivers are home to at least three different species of electric eels. One species, Electrophorus varii, named after the late Smithsonian ichthyologist Richard Vari, swims through murky, slow-flowing lowland waters. (D. Bastos)

Fish Detective Solves a Shocking Case of Mistaken Identity

Smithsonian scientist David de Santana discovered two new species of electric eels in the Amazon rainforest.

Smithsonian Curator Anna Phillips wants people to be less scared of blood-sucking leeches. Phillips and her colleagues recently discovered a new species of North American medicinal leech living in the eastern U.S. (Anna Phillips, Smithsonian Institution)

This Smithsonian Scientist is on a Mission to Make Leeches Less Scary

Smithsonian Curator Anna Phillips is on a quest to make leeches less repulsive to the public.

Siobhan Starrs joined the “David H. Koch Hall of Fossils – Deep Time” team in 2009. She spent a decade working on the exhibit, which opened on June 8. (Smithsonian Institution)

How Siobhan Starrs’ Harrowing Hike Shaped the New Fossil Hall

Get to know the woman who managed the Fossil Hall renovation.

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s megalodon model is a 52-foot-long female based on a set of teeth discovered in the Bone Valley Formation in Florida. (Smithsonian Institution)

Megalodon May Be Extinct, but There’s a Life-size One at the Smithsonian

A 52-foot, life-size model of a <i>Carcharocles megalodon</i> shark is now on display in the National Museum of Natural History's newly opened dining facilities.

The Smithsonian’s new fossil hall includes myriad stories and details – big and small – about Earth’s 4.6-billion-year history. (Smithsonian Institution)

Five Things You Shouldn’t Miss in the New Fossil Hall

Here's what the experts behind "Deep Time" don't want you to miss.

Visitors enter the Smithsonian’s new fossil hall for the first on June 8 when it reopened after being closed for a five-year renovation. (Smithsonian Institution)

How Exhibit Writers Tackled Earth’s 4.6 Billion Year History in ‘Deep Time’

Exhibition writer, Angela Roberts Reeder, shares what it took to write the script for the new "David H. Koch Hall of Fossils - Deep Time," now open at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Miniature dinosaurs are staged in a scene from 150 million years ago while guests peruse another display showing the same species at full-size. (Smithsonian Institution)

The Experts Behind the New Fossil Hall Wrap Their Minds Around ‘Deep Time’

The team behind the Smithsonian's new dinosaur and fossil hall reflect on what "deep time" means to them.

Smithsonian paleontologist, Hans Sues, answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History’s Deep Time YouTube series, “The Doctor Is In.” (Smithsonian Institution)

The Dr. Is In: Who Would Win in a Duel - T. rex or Stegosaurus - and Other Questions From Our Readers

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History's YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

Smithsonian paleontologist, Hans Sues, answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History’s Deep Time YouTube series, “The Doctor Is In.” (Smithsonian Institution)

The Dr. Is In: Is Dimetrodon a Dinosaur and Other Questions from Our Readers

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History's YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

Smithsonian paleontologist, Hans Sues, answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History’s Deep Time YouTube series, “The Doctor Is In.” (Smithsonian Institution)

The Dr. Is In: What Is the Smallest Known Dinosaur and Other Questions from Our Readers

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History's YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

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