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National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Voices

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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

Jack Tamisiea | April 30, 2025

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Meet the Scientist Using Micro-CT Scans to Explore Big Questions About Evolution

Corinthia Black studies the anatomical features of fishes and spiders to understand how life on Earth takes shape

Benjamin Hack | April 15, 2025

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How a 162-Year-Old Specimen Helped Prove the Existence of an ‘Incredulous’ Lizard Species

A serendipitous find in the National Museum of Natural History’s collections yielded just the second known specimen of a mysterious Cuban anole

Benjamin Hack | April 9, 2025

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This Invasive Species Awareness Week, Learn How Museum Researchers Track the Rogue Wildlife Infiltrating American Ecosystems

From a beautiful fish that’s eating the Caribbean to a tiny bivalve with a huge impact, North America’s most notorious introduced species have reshaped the continent’s ecosystems

Benjamin Hack | February 25, 2025
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Top Discoveries at the National Museum of Natural History in 2024

Fungus-farming ants, fossilized footprints and a prehistoric critter named after a Muppet are just a few of the year’s most notable findings

Jack Tamisiea | December 31, 2024
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To Understand How Species Evolve, Scientists Flock to Where Charismatic Birds Intermingle

For decades, researchers have explored a region in Panama that serves as a “manakin melting pot”

Jack Tamisiea | November 21, 2024
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Scientists at the National Museum of Natural History Discover Two Squirrel Species Long Obscured by Mistaken Identities

Using a variety of techniques, the researchers realized that two subspecies of squirrels from Southeast Asia were actually unique species in their own right

Jack Tamisiea | November 13, 2024
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The Murder Mystery Linking a Bird Specimen at the National Museum of Natural History to the Mysterious Death of an Arctic Explorer

In 1871, a naturalist aboard the U.S.S. Polaris collected scientific specimens — and possibly poisoned the ship’s captain

Chihiro Kai | October 31, 2024
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Across the Smithsonian, Researchers are Working Together to Save Virginia’s Birds

This National Virginia Day, learn how Smithsonian scientists are using historic collections and current conservation practices to bring back declining populations of grassland birds

Emma Saaty | September 13, 2024
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Tiny Tornado Chasers: Why Rare Songbirds Rely on Destructive Winds

A new Smithsonian paper posits that Swainson’s warblers have tornadoes to thank for ideal habitats

Jack Tamisiea | July 11, 2024
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Meet the Museum Scientist Who Sails the Ocean and Sifts Through Seafood Markets to Identify Fishes

From field sites in Vietnam and the coast of West Africa to her laboratory in Washington, D.C., Kate Bemis applies her knowledge of fish diversity to support sustainable fisheries

Naomi Greenberg | June 10, 2024
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Building a Library of Life: How Smithsonian Collections Are Revolutionizing Ocean eDNA Research

Unlocking natural history collections is key to monitoring and protecting Earth’s environments using eDNA

Emma Saaty | June 5, 2024
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Shrew Are You? Scientist Discovers Two New Species of Shrews in Museum’s Collection

Hailing from the mountains of Colombia, the new shrews fill in a geographical gap and are among a growing number of species discovered in collections

Jack Tamisiea | May 14, 2024
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When the Moon Obscures the Sun, How Does Life on Earth Respond?

From fish to flamingos, here’s what scientists know — and what they hope to find out — about how plants and animals react to a total solar eclipse

Naomi Greenberg | April 8, 2024
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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
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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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NMNH in Review: A ‘Killer’ Arrival at the Smithsonian

After stranding on a Florida beach, an orca’s odyssey to the museum will offer rich research opportunities

Emma Saaty | January 9, 2024
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NMNH in Review: Top Discoveries by Museum Scientists in 2023

Indigenous woolly dogs, ground sloth pendants and more headline-grabbing findings by scientists at the National Museum of Natural History

Emma Saaty & Jack Tamisiea | January 4, 2024
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Celebrate the Holiday Season with the Museum’s Stunning Collection of Blue Specimens

Learn how this rare hue shows up in the natural world with some of the Smithsonian’s bluest specimens

Ellyn Lapointe | December 12, 2023
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