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National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Voices

Brown mussel shells sit in a white box with orange paper underneath.

Interested in Using Museum Collections to Better Understand Freshwater Mussels? There’s Now an App for That

A new online resource combines data from 45 different natural history collections to provide easy-to-use information on America’s threatened freshwater mussels

Jack Tamisiea | February 29, 2024

Two red, orange, and white starfish with intricate patterns sit side by side against a black background

Meet the Smithsonian Scientist Who Has Spent Decades Exploring Ocean Depths

Marine biologist Dr. Dave Pawson has embarked on over 100 dives to the ocean floor to unravel the mysteries of elusive invertebrates like sea cucumbers and brittle stars

Emma Saaty | February 22, 2024

NMNH-2008-19316_DarwinGodwit-000002.jpg

How A 190-Year-Old Shorebird Preserves Darwin’s Legacy

In honor of Charles Darwin’s 215th birthday, meet the only original Darwin specimen in North America

Naomi Greenberg | February 12, 2024

C3 - dorsalis5_Quentin_Martinez.jpg

Smithsonian Scientists Discover New Species of Hedgehogs Hiding in Plain Sight

Soft-furred hedgehog specimens deposited decades ago in the museum’s collection are new to science

Emily Driehaus | February 2, 2024
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