Natural History Museum | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/natural-history-museum/RSS feed for Natural History MuseumenMon, 27 Jul 2026 19:08:12 +0000Ancient Fossil Footsteps Found in Kenya May Hint That an Early Human Relative Was Larger Than Previously Thoughthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ancient-fossil-footsteps-found-in-kenya-may-hint-that-an-early-human-relative-was-larger-than-previously-thought-180989206/The trackway sheds light on how some hominins moved around their environments and with one anotherMon, 27 Jul 2026 19:08:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ancient-fossil-footsteps-found-in-kenya-may-hint-that-an-early-human-relative-was-larger-than-previously-thought-180989206/Video Captures Orcas Ramming a Sunfish So Hard It Explodes. The Mysterious Behavior Might Be a Form of Play or Juvenile Carehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/video-captures-orcas-ramming-a-sunfish-so-hard-it-explodes-the-mysterious-behavior-might-be-a-form-of-play-or-juvenile-care-180989153/In two incidents documented in Mexico’s Gulf of California, orcas worked together to blast sunfish into smithereens after they had killed the enormous animalsThu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/video-captures-orcas-ramming-a-sunfish-so-hard-it-explodes-the-mysterious-behavior-might-be-a-form-of-play-or-juvenile-care-180989153/Ancient Genes Reveal That Big, Bright Avocados Were Carried Through the Americas Thousands of Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ancient-genes-reveal-that-big-bright-avocados-were-carried-through-the-americas-thousands-of-years-ago-180989171/People brought large avocado seeds from South America to Central America, kicking off a burst of diversity for the fruitWed, 22 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ancient-genes-reveal-that-big-bright-avocados-were-carried-through-the-americas-thousands-of-years-ago-180989171/An Ancient Sea Once Split North America Down the Middle. The Beautiful Multicolored Ammonite Shells From Its Waters Are So Perfectly Preserved That They Still Shimmer Todayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/an-ancient-sea-once-split-north-america-down-the-middle-the-beautiful-multicolored-ammonite-shells-from-its-waters-are-so-perfectly-preserved-that-they-still-shimmer-today-180989104/Spectacular marine fossils tell the story of the long-gone Western Interior Seaway and the planet’s past aquatic lifeFri, 10 Jul 2026 16:30:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/an-ancient-sea-once-split-north-america-down-the-middle-the-beautiful-multicolored-ammonite-shells-from-its-waters-are-so-perfectly-preserved-that-they-still-shimmer-today-180989104/