National Museum of Natural History

Postcard of the Smithsonian Institution Castle sent in 1939 from my mom in Washington, D.C. to my uncles in Casper, Wyoming—nearly 80 years before I started working at the Smithsonian. (Kirk Johnson)

Museum Director Discovers His Mother’s Childhood Visit to the Smithsonian

By raising her son to be curious about the natural world, Kirk Johnson's mother helped shape the trajectory of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Smithsonian paleobiologist Scott Wing digs for plant fossils in Wyoming. (Tom Nash)

Old Fossils, New Meanings: Smithsonian Exhibit Explores the History of Life and What it Means for Our Future

For Earth Day, Smithsonian paleobiologist Scott Wing reminds us that we can look to the fossil record to better understand how ecosystems and organisms today respond to human-caused global changes.

Past and present female scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History have advanced humankind’s understanding of the natural world and its place in it. L to R: Adrienne Kaeppler, Hannah Wood, Marian Pettibone, Sorena Sorenson and Kay Behrensmeyer. (Smithsonian Institution).

Get to Know the Leading Ladies of Science at the Smithsonian

These women paved the way for female scientists at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Researchers at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History traveled the world and made many new discoveries this year—including 18 new species of pelican spiders. (Nikolai Scharff)

Check Out Some of Our Most Popular Discoveries From 2018

Celebrate the new year with some of our most popular scientific discoveries from 2018.

The seeds of common poppy (Papaver rhoeas) only germinate when the soil in which they live is disturbed. Intense fighting during World War I decimated Europe’s physical environment, causing thousands of poppies to bloom where battles once raged. (Gary Houston, CC0 1.0)

100 Years Ago, Poppies Became More Than Just Flowers

Here's how the poppy came to symbolize World War I.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History houses countless artifacts and specimens related to the American Presidency, like this meteorite which was presented to President Ulysses S. Grant by the Mexican government. (Paul Fetters for the Smithsonian)

Check Out These Unexpected Connections in Natural and Presidential History

To celebrate President’s Day, here are some of my favorite natural history artifacts and specimens that not only form the foundation for scientific discovery, but also reveal a piece of the American story.

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.

Each species of tinamou—a nearly-flightless bird from South and Central America—lays a different color of glossy egg. The males build the nest and incubate the eggs, while the females nest-hop, laying eggs in multiple nests. Visit our #ObjectsofWonder exhibit to see the eggs of tinamous and other bird species (Photo Credit: Paul Fetters for the Smithsonian).

This Easter, Forget Everything You Know About the Egg Hunt

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History has more than 109,000 individual bird egg specimens. It is a hidden gem that rivals the fanciest Easter basket imaginable. The eggs vary in size, shape, color, and pattern and reflect the diversity of life on this planet. So, how did the collection start? And why do we have so many bird eggs?

The traditional Thanksgiving turkey is delicious, but is it paleo? (Photo Credit: Tim Sackton via Flickr)

This Thanksgiving, Try the Real Paleo Diet

With Thanksgiving almost here, many people are looking forward to turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. But as a scientist who studies what people ate in the deep past - the real paleo diet – I’m bracing myself for the inevitable questions from people who want to know what’s on the menu that qualifies. If, like me, you enjoy the friendly debunking of baseless nutritional lore, here are some conversation starters for this holiday weekend.

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