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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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This Fall at the Museum: Fossils, Fossils and More Fossils!

There are also events about mushrooms, bats and much more at the National Museum of Natural History in September and October

Jack Tamisiea | August 29, 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
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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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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
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How Leafcutter Ants and Other Culinary Creatures Prepare a Feast

Celebrate Thanksgiving with some of the animal kingdom’s greatest cooks, including marshmallow-roasting apes and salt-sprinkling monkeys

Jack Tamisiea | November 23, 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 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
A small bonfire burns in the foreground with a sunset in the background.

Explore How Fire Shaped Human Evolution and More Natural History Programs This March

Tune in to programs on the future of biodiversity, how to talk about climate change and more through the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Madison Goldberg | February 28, 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
A wide shot of a museum exhibit, featuring a dark, faceless, naked female mannequin covered in orange genetic code in the background with a monitor in the foreground showing an orange and white graphic of two people with "What do you think?" between them.

Your Genomic Story Awaits at Smithsonian

Exhibit returns to unravel the complexities of humans' shared genetics

Tess Joosse | October 21, 2021
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

Tess Joosse | September 30, 2021
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