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National Museum of Natural History

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For 25 Years, the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program Has Kept Weekly Tabs on Volcanic Eruptions Around the World. Here’s How They Do It

Since 2000, specialists at the National Museum of Natural History have produced the world’s foremost report on active volcanoes

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What Do You Get a Museum That Has Almost Everything for the Holidays? One of the Most Spectacular Dome-Headed Dinosaur Skulls Ever Unearthed

The National Museum of Natural History’s new Pachycephalosaurus skull sheds light on enigmatic group of dinosaurs and will be on display during the holiday season

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Meet the Museum Director Who’s Wild About Walruses

In celebration of World Walrus Day, National Museum of Natural History director Kirk Johnson talks about his new documentary on the saber-toothed seals

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To Survive Mass Extinctions, Reef-Building Corals Retreat to the Deep Blue Sea

Museum researchers reconstructed the evolutionary history of stony corals over the past 460 million years, providing insights into how the animals may fare in the future

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Meet the Scientist Digitizing Millions of Fossilized Pollen Grains to Reveal Earth’s Climate History

Smithsonian researcher Ingrid Romero studies fossil pollen to reconstruct ancient climates and predict future changes

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Farewell to Baird Auditorium: A Century of Science, Culture and Creativity

As Baird Auditorium closes for renovation, NMNH reflects on its century-long legacy and the architectural marvels that make it one of D.C.’s most iconic public spaces

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How Did the Ostrich Cross the Ocean? Its Ancestors Flew There

A remarkable fossil in the National Museum of Natural History’s collection reveals that the ancestors of modern flightless birds were capable of flying long distances

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Ginseng Family Secrets, Super-Flexible Whale Jaw Joints and More in the National Museum of Natural History's Summer Summary

Explore a few exciting discoveries by museum researchers that you may have missed over the past few months

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Red or Black, but Nothing in Between: Multicolored Beaks Are a Big Turn Off for Female Jamaican Hummingbirds

Museum scientist Gary Graves has spent decades investigating why red-billed and black-billed streamertail hummingbirds remain distinct species despite on-going hybridization

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New Research Reveals That the Asteroid Bennu Likely Originated on Outskirts of the Solar System

Smithsonian researchers analyzed fragments of the near-Earth asteroid and discovered water-rich clays that hint at a distant origin

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Meet the Scientist Tracing 10,000 Years of Indigenous Life Along Alaska's Southern Coast

Aron Crowell weaves Indigenous knowledge, archaeology and environmental science into a powerful narrative of cultural resilience in the Arctic

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To Understand a Changing Estuary, Smithsonian Scientists Search for Biodiversity Buried in the Sediment

This past June, researchers congregated at the Smithsonian Marine Station to catalogue the vast diversity of tiny animals living in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon

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How Much Wood Could a Museum Collect? Much More Than a Woodchuck Could

From providing forensic wooden "fingerprints" to insights on structural engineering, the museum’s collection of rare and wonderful lumber is a prized scientific resource

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Paleontologists Discover a ‘Marvelous’ Triassic Reptile That Sported a Sail of Feather-Like Structures on its Back

The odd structure is distinct from anything seen in living animals and likely created a colorful display

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Meet the Scientist Who Discovered a New Genus of Curious Catfish Hiding in Colombia’s Most Endangered River

Museum ichthyologist Cristhian Conde-Saldaña uses evolutionary genetics to study freshwater fishes and document at-risk biodiversity

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How the 'King of Diamonds' Gave the National Museum of Natural History Its Crown Jewel

From the legendary Hope Diamond to a rainbow of colorful gemstones, a multigenerational bond between the Winston family and the Smithsonian transformed the museum’s world-renowned gem collection

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The History of the World in Seven Snails

For National Snail Day, museum research fellow Melissa Betters explores the mollusks’ notable nature

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To Recreate a 17th-Century Masterwork, an Entomologist at the National Museum of Natural History Got Creative with Butterflies, Bees and a Bit of Rosemary

The display will be featured in a new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art as part of a historic collaboration along the National Mall

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To Correct Some Fishy Anatomy, Researchers at the National Museum of Natural History Get Inside the Head of a Coelacanth

The new work adds to the legacy of Dave Johnson, a long-time museum curator famed for his detail-oriented research on fishes

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Meet the National Museum of Natural History Volunteer Preserving Prehistory One Microfossil at a Time

Carlos Savignano is part of a dedicated group of FossiLab volunteers preparing Smithsonian fossils for display and future research

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