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National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Voices

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15 Years Later, the National Museum of Natural History Is Still Asking What It Means to Be Human

The museum’s groundbreaking Hall of Human Origins centers around the adaptations that set early humans apart

Jack Tamisiea | March 17, 2025

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This February, Meet the Women Transforming Science at the National Museum of Natural History

Mark your calendar for the Mother Tongue Film Festival and events covering everything from odd oceanic couples to resilient deer

Jack Tamisiea | January 29, 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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Meet the Scientist Decoding Human History in South America Through Giant Ground Sloth Fossils

Thaís Pansani examines the marks humans left on megafauna bones to determine when people arrived in South America and how they interacted with giant mammals

Chihiro Kai | October 29, 2024
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Celebrate Planets Near and Far This April

Learn more about the diversity of life on Earth, missions to Mars and much more this month at the National Museum of Natural History

Emily Driehaus | April 3, 2024
Pink flowers bloom in front of a brick castle building across a field of green grass.

Enjoy Cherry Blossoms and More Natural History Programs this March

Enjoy environmental film screenings, gain an appreciation for spiders and more this month at the National Museum of Natural History

Naomi Greenberg | March 7, 2024
A white, fluffy dog stands in front of a brown mural with other dogs

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
The National Museum of Natural History rotunda is lit up with green garlands hanging from the balconies, with the elephant standing the the middle of the image.

Deck the Halls With Nature Crafts and More Natural History Programs This December

Join us for programs about colorful corals, ancient art and more at the National Museum of Natural History

Ellyn Lapointe | December 7, 2023
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Discover How Domesticating Dogs Influenced Human Evolution and Other Natural History Programs This May

Participate in a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon and more this month at the National Museum of Natural History

Jack Tamisiea | May 12, 2023
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Explore Viral Bat Research and More Natural History Programs This March

Tune in to programs about the original paleo diet, an environmental film festival and more at the National Museum of Natural History.

Emma Saaty | March 3, 2023
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2022 in Review: The Year’s Top Discoveries by Museum Researchers

An Ichthyosaur graveyard, oyster middens and other headline-grabbing findings by scientists at the National Museum of Natural History

Jack Tamisiea | January 13, 2023
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Viking Women and Black-Footed Ferrets Are Coming to the Museum This Holiday Season

Have a holly jolly holiday and tune into exciting programming about the natural world at the museum this December

Lyric Aquino | December 2, 2022
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Lucy’s Legacy: Celebrating the 48th Anniversary of Her Discovery with a Selfie

The iconic ancient hominin gets her hands on a smartphone in anticipation of the museum’s upcoming exhibition exploring the global impact of cellphones.

Lyric Aquino | November 24, 2022
A tan-colored skull and spine sticks out of a sandy surface. The jaws of the elongated skull are studded with sharp teeth that are angled at the viewer.

This November, Be Thankful for Specialty Spirits and Ancient Sea Monsters

Tune into programs about “underground astronauts,” archetype-busting archaeologists and more with the National Museum of Natural History

Jack Tamisiea | November 16, 2022
A gray and white bird perches among leafy branches

Celebrate Black Birders Week and More Natural History Programs This May

Tune into programs about ancient mummies, resilient coral and the evolution of skin tone

Jack Tamisiea | May 4, 2022
A chimpanzee sits among leaves

Explore How Chimpanzees Perceive Gender and More Natural History Programs This April

Tune in to programs about tiny human relatives, fungus-farming ants and more through the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Jack Tamisiea | April 1, 2022
Three black and white acorn woodpeckers perched on a branch with wings spread.

Discover How Animals Show Their Love and Other Natural History Programs This February

Stream programs on early human ancestry, the history of disease and more through the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Madison Goldberg | January 31, 2022
Headshot of paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner in a red sweater holding an early human skull up text to her face on white background.

Meet the Scientist Studying How Humans Started Eating Meat

Paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner studies bones from animals eaten by early humans millions of years ago

Tess Joosse | December 9, 2021
Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History sequenced the genomes of 363 bird species in 2020. (Brian Schmidt, Smithsonian)

10 Popular Scientific Discoveries from 2020

Here are some of 2020’s most popular discoveries involving scientists from the National Museum of Natural History.

Erin Malsbury | December 31, 2020
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