Discover

SCIENCE NEWS

Velvet spider named after Lou Reed found in Europe for the first time

18 January 2019

This velvet spider group was thought to live only in Africa and the Middle East.

NEWS

Death of George the tree snail marked the first extinction of 2019

15 January 2019

George's death is a reminder that snail populations are crashing all over the world.

NEWS

John and Elizabeth Gould's watercolour bird drawings join the Museum collection

14 January 2019

A volume of historical bird illustrations has joined the Museum collections.

SCIENCE NEWS

Termites help protect rainforests from climate change

11 January 2019

The small but mighty insects buffer the forests against drought.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: a fearless fox in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

This fox was scavenging for food when it wandered past photographer Adrian Bliss.

NEWS

Vote for your favourite image: the Wildlife Photographer of the Year LUMIX People's Choice Award

5 December 2018

Preview the 25 images in the running to win this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year LUMIX People's Choice Award.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: blood-loving birds of the Galápagos

22 October 2018

When resources run short, the sharp-beaked finches of Wolf Island turn into vampires to survive.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: the uncertain future of China's primates

16 October 2018

Some species have fewer than 30 individuals left alive.

NEWS

China successfully lands Chang'e-4 spacecraft on the far side of the Moon

4 January 2019

These are the first images from the surface of the far side of the Moon.

NEWS

BepiColombo sends back its first images from space

24 October 2018

The probe will help reveal some of the secrets about Mercury.

NEWS

Hayabusa2 lands two rovers on asteroid Ryugu

24 September 2018

The rovers have captured the first ever images from the surface of an asteroid.

SPACE

Types of meteorites

24 September 2018

Falling from the sky in a blaze of glory, meteorites certainly know how to make an entrance, and the stories they tell span the history of our solar system.

NEWS

John and Elizabeth Gould's watercolour bird drawings join the Museum collection

14 January 2019

A volume of historical bird illustrations has joined the Museum collections.

COLLECTIONS

Hans Sloane: physician, collector and botanist

10 January 2019

Hans Sloane's collection formed the basis of the Natural History Museum.

DINOSAURS

How did Baryonyx change what we knew about spinosaurs?

7 January 2019

Although spinosaurs were named in 1915, little was known about these giants until a 31-centimetre-long claw was discovered in the UK in 1983.

COLLECTIONS

Specimen stores and lights at night

12 December 2018

Find out what can happen when fieldwork doesn't go exactly as planned, and how to do a simple DIY science project at home.

Exploring the mysteries of Earth's underwater caves

11 January 2019

Cave divers are at the forefront of the search for life in the planet's deepest and darkest subterranean worlds.

COLLECTIONS

Specimen stores and lights at night

12 December 2018

Find out what can happen when fieldwork doesn't go exactly as planned, and how to do a simple DIY science project at home.

DINOSAURS

Can you find dinosaurs in Ireland?

5 December 2018

Why have so few dinosaur fossils been found in Ireland? It's all to do with the island's geological history.

BRITISH WILDLIFE

Night life: how to spot insects in the dark

23 November 2018

What nocturnal insects will you find where you live?

SCIENCE NEWS

Velvet spider named after Lou Reed found in Europe for the first time

18 January 2019

This velvet spider group was thought to live only in Africa and the Middle East.

NEWS

Death of George the tree snail marked the first extinction of 2019

15 January 2019

George's death is a reminder that snail populations are crashing all over the world.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: a fearless fox in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

This fox was scavenging for food when it wandered past photographer Adrian Bliss.

NEWS

John and Elizabeth Gould's watercolour bird drawings join the Museum collection

14 January 2019

A volume of historical bird illustrations has joined the Museum collections.

Exploring the mysteries of Earth's underwater caves

11 January 2019

Cave divers are at the forefront of the search for life in the planet's deepest and darkest subterranean worlds.

SCIENCE NEWS

Termites help protect rainforests from climate change

11 January 2019

The small but mighty insects buffer the forests against drought.

NEWS

Dinosaurs to come to life in a new interactive Museum experience

10 January 2019

An immersive experience will bring dinosaurs to life using the latest mixed-reality technology.

COLLECTIONS

Hans Sloane: physician, collector and botanist

10 January 2019

Hans Sloane's collection formed the basis of the Natural History Museum.

SCIENCE NEWS

The rise and fall of the Inca Empire is recorded in llama poo

9 January 2019

The number of microorganisms linked with llama droppings gives clues about the Inca.

DINOSAURS

How did Baryonyx change what we knew about spinosaurs?

7 January 2019

Although spinosaurs were named in 1915, little was known about these giants until a 31-centimetre-long claw was discovered in the UK in 1983.

NEWS

China successfully lands Chang'e-4 spacecraft on the far side of the Moon

4 January 2019

These are the first images from the surface of the far side of the Moon.

NEWS

It's a record year for grey seal pups

2 January 2019

More grey seal pups are being born on British coastlines than ever.

NEWS

Over 270 new species discovered in 2018

27 December 2018

They include new dinosaurs, an ancient wombat and a giant shark.

BRITISH WILDLIFE

How well do you know your winter wildlife?

18 December 2018

Take our quiz to find out how familiar you are with the UK's plants and animals and their strategies for surviving winter.

Drugs, Beetox and the black market: how do we depend on venomous creatures?

13 December 2018

We may be relying on venom and the animals that produce it more often than we think.

OCEANS

Shark evolution: a 450 million year timeline

13 December 2018

Evolving before trees and weathering five mass extinctions, sharks are true survivors.

COLLECTIONS

Specimen stores and lights at night

12 December 2018

Find out what can happen when fieldwork doesn't go exactly as planned, and how to do a simple DIY science project at home.

NEWS

Common dolphins are flocking to Britain

10 December 2018

Climate change could be behind the increase.

NEWS

Mary Anning Rocks: the campaign for a statue of the palaeontologist in Lyme Regis

6 December 2018

A campaign group have attracted national attention for their quest to get her permanently commemorated. 

SCIENCE NEWS

Towns and cities benefit the same animals and plants everywhere

5 December 2018

Rats and pigeons are thriving, but unique species are disappearing.

NEWS

Vote for your favourite image: the Wildlife Photographer of the Year LUMIX People's Choice Award

5 December 2018

Preview the 25 images in the running to win this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year LUMIX People's Choice Award.

DINOSAURS

Can you find dinosaurs in Ireland?

5 December 2018

Why have so few dinosaur fossils been found in Ireland? It's all to do with the island's geological history.

Steller's sea cow: the first historical extinction of marine mammal at human hands

30 November 2018

Unusually for a modern mammal, we know little of it from a true natural history perspective.

HUMAN EVOLUTION

Australopithecus afarensis, Lucy's species

29 November 2018

Australopithecus afarensis is one of the best-known early human relatives thanks to an extraordinary fossil called Lucy.