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National Museum of Natural History

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Meet the Smithsonian Scientist Venturing to Volcanoes to Understand the Origins of Earth’s Surface

Elizabeth Cottrell collects rocks and analyzes samples in the lab to help reveal what makes Earth so unique

In an aerial shot of the desert, a dry lakebed is surrounded by swaths of white salt flats.

Clay-Encrusted Microbes Provide Clues to How Early Life Developed on Earth and Potentially Mars

Smithsonian scientists study saline lakes in the Chilean desert to travel back in time to ancient Earth and beyond

A large research vessel with a cell tower on top sails across a dark blue stretch of ocean that expands towards a paler blue sky along the horizon.

Smithsonian Scientists Unearth Signs of an Ancient Climate Calamity Buried Beneath the Seafloor

The research puts modern oceanic climate change in context

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

A group of several bison with dark fur traverses a light green colored landscape of grasslands as rays of late afternoon light stream through several gold-tinged clouds. In the distance are more bison and the horizon is framed by distant mountains.

For the Love of the Buffalo

The celebration of America's National Mammal brings up both a dark past and a brighter future thanks to the Smithsonian’s conservation work

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A Final Meal for the Ages

For World Mosquito Day, meet the “one in a million” fossil that proved fossilized blood is more than just science fiction

Under the waves swirls a bed of sea grass. Above the water is a coastal home attached to a dock.

New Study Puts Smithsonian Conservation Efforts to the Test

The findings illustrate how people-focused initiatives benefit both society and nature

Composite image of ten different species of zooplankton on black background.

An Ode to Zooplankton, the Hidden Heroes of the Sea

These charismatic animals power the marine world as we know it.

Zoologist Melissa Hawkins holds a squirrel with gloved hands and observes it while in the woods during daylight.

Meet the Scientist Extracting Ancient DNA From Squirrels and Lemurs

Zoologist Melissa Hawkins uses museum specimens and field expeditions to study rodents and primates

A person using a notebook while kneeling in grass on a sunny day in Kenya.

Seven Natural History Programs to Stream for Free in October

Stream these programs and more through the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History

Sylvester Musembi Musyoka, a Kenyan colleague and field crew leader, recording a large mammal fossil bone during a virtual field project to collect fossils in Kenyan excavation sites that were in danger of being damaged by severe weather. (Nzioki Mativo/Smithsonian)

How the Pandemic Changed Scientific Exploration

How seven Smithsonian scientists continued to discover the secrets of the natural world safely during the pandemic

Staring into the mouth of flooded cave passages on the islands of the Turks and Caicos. Hidden cave pools are illuminated by dive lights and photo flash. (Joost Daniels, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)

Scientists Brave One of the Darkest Places on Earth for Rare Predatory Worm

Smithsonian marine scientist Brett Gonzalez spent 10 days exploring the flooded caves of the Turks and Caicos in search of a rare predatory scale worm.

The spectacled flowerpecker has been spotted eating mistletoe, a parasitic plant that grows high in Borneo’s forest canopy. The distinctive white markings around the eyes earned these birds their common name. (John Anderton)

Scientists Describe New Bird Species 10 Years After First Reported Sighting

In an article published today in the journal <i>Zootaxa</i>, Smithsonian researchers described the spectacled flowerpecker after a decade of only scattered sightings and photographs of the small gray birds.

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.

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.

Last summer, I brought my son, Toby, with me on a field work trip to Kenya for the first time. It wasn’t easy but I’m glad I did it and would definitely do it again. (Briana Pobiner, Smithsonian Institution)

How to Balance Motherhood and a STEM Career

Smithsonian paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner shares tips for balancing motherhood and a STEM career.

A fossil sea turtle skull excavated from Angola’s coastal cliffs. A cast of this fossil will be featured in “Sea Monsters Unearthed,” opening November 9 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. (Hillsman S. Jackson, Southern Methodist University)

Q&A: Sea Monsters in Our Ancient Oceans Were Strangely Familiar

Stunning fossils reveal that Angola's ancient ocean ecosystem was at once strange and familiar.

C. David de Santana and his team exploring the Javari River on the border of Brazil and Peru on a misty morning. (Douglas Bastos)

Discovery and Danger: The Shocking Fishes of the Amazon's Final Frontier

Smithsonian Scientist races to discover and study the mysterious fishes of the Amazon's final frontier.

St. Croix ground lizards are one of the world's rarest lizards. (Nicole Angeli, Smithsonian)

Why Aren't St. Croix Ground Lizards on St. Croix?

Smithsonian scientists are working to save St. Croix ground lizards from extinction and bring them home to their namesake island.

Scientists at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History traveled the world and made many new discoveries this year--like this Cyrtodactylis payarhtanensis, a new species of bent-toed gecko. (Daniel G. Mulcahy)

Countdown to the New Year: 7 of Our Favorite Discoveries from 2017

To count down to the new year, here are some of our favorite stories about the exciting discoveries our researchers made this year.

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