NEWS
Mysterious missing xenon gas traced to Earth's interior
10 December 2015
Vast quantities of 'missing' xenon may be trapped kilometres below Earth's surface.
Neanderthals' distinctive face shape explained
7 December 2015
Research on a Museum fossil helps explain why Neanderthal faces looked different to our own.
New gallery will reveal the intertwined history of human species
1 December 2015
Opening later this month, the Museum's new Human Evolution gallery will enable visitors to trace the evolution of our species and explore what makes us human.
Explore the Great Barrier Reef with Sir David Attenborough
25 November 2015
Visitors will be able to take a virtual reality tour through the world's largest coral reef from 11 December 2015, as David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef Dive opens at the Natural History Museum.
Scandinavian ice sheet cracks ancient climate change puzzle
23 November 2015
A Museum researcher's 'midge thermometer' innovation has helped explain why the Earth was plunged into a mini ice age almost 13,000 years ago.
Brain fossils break new ground in palaeontology
16 November 2015
Museum scientists use cutting-edge imaging techniques to unravel the secrets of 517-million-year-old animals, uncovering new evidence for brain fossilisation.
Life thrives in ice-covered Antarctic lake
14 November 2015
Braving ice-cold water pays off for research team who discover diverse microbial life flourishing at the bottom of an Antarctic lake.
Ilford mammoth skull returns home
13 November 2015
Museum donates cast of Ilford mammoth skull to the London community where the fossil was found.
North American mammoth origins rewritten
12 November 2015
Mammoth teeth study led by Museum palaeontologist Prof Adrian Lister reveals the origins of the Columbian mammoth and interbreeding with woolly mammoths.
Museums celebrate UK astronaut Tim Peake space launch
6 November 2015
Institutions in South Kensington will host a day of events celebrating the launch of British astronaut Tim Peake.
Ancient amphibian fossils unearthed in Brazil
5 November 2015
Museum scientist Dr Martha Richter helps discover two new species of extinct amphibians and the oldest reptile fossil skeleton ever found in South America.
Tumours consisting of tapeworm cancer cells found in human
4 November 2015
Researchers reveal a link between tapeworm parasites and cancer-like infections in people with compromised immune systems.
New bat species found in Museum collection
31 October 2015
A bat preserved in alcohol for 30 years in the Museum's collection has been recognised as a new species of horseshoe bat.
Modern humans reached Asia far earlier than previously thought
15 October 2015
Modern human teeth that are at least 80,000 years old have been found in China. Museum human origins expert Professor Chris Stringer says the discovery is a 'game-changer'.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015 winners announced
12 October 2015
Amateur photographer Don Gutoski received the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015 award.
Stunning images reveal blue skies and water ice on Pluto
Museum scientist Professor Sara Russell says the discovery could mean that organic material, including water, is widespread in the outer reaches of our solar system.
Ancient sawfish fossil sheds light on tooth evolution
6 October 2015
Detailed 3D X-ray images of the saw-like nose of Schizorhiza stromeri challenge the classical theory that vertebrate teeth evolved from external scales.
Grounds consultation to end soon
1 October 2015
The Museum is planning an ambitious transformation of its outdoor spaces, to create the best possible experience for the many people who visit each year.
Salty water streams give further hint at life on Mars
29 September 2015
Museum researcher Dr Joe Michalski says NASA discovery points to Martian environments that could be habitable by certain kinds of bacteria.
Museum to display rare meteorite from solar system's birth
6 June 2018
The satsuma-sized Ivuna meteorite contains a record of primordial material from 4.6 billion years ago - around the same time as the formation of the sun and planets.
Research into species traits could help save Europe's dying bees
23 September 2015
A team led by a Museum scientist has found that smaller bee species with shorter flight seasons are especially at risk in human-dominated areas.
Museum opens new high-end Cranbourne Boutique shop
11 September 2015
The opening of the new 'cabinet of curiosities' boutique follows a recent overhaul of the Museum Shop.
Meet Homo naledi - your newly discovered ancient human relative
10 September 2015
Researchers announce a new species of ancient human discovered deep in a cave in South Africa. Fossil casts will be unveiled to the public at the Museum later this month.
Museum opens applications for nationwide Dippy tour
9 September 2015
The Museum's famous Diplodocus goes on tour around the UK from early 2018, with venues bidding to host this British icon encouraged to get creative with their proposals.
New highly venomous snake species discovered in Australia
28 August 2015
A team led by a Museum scientist has discovered a new species of Australian death adder in the Kimberley region of the country.
Grounds transformation progresses
22 May 2018
Pluto flyby data will be used to create art for Museum exhibition
15 July 2015
Data from a Pluto flyby to be turned into art.
Opals on Mars could hold a record of ancient life
10 July 2015
A special kind of opal that can trap microbes on Earth has been found in a Martian meteorite, suggesting a new target in the search for signs of life on Mars.
Amazonian artwork by pioneers of evolutionary theory now online
7 July 2015
Scientific artwork by Alfred Russel Wallace and Henry Walter Bates - two of the most important nineteenth-century biologists and natural history collectors - is available online for the first time.
Shining seaweeds reveal the secret to their iridescence
3 July 2015
The common British seaweed Irish moss displays a blue shine using unique structures that bend light, according to a new study.
Long-distance spiders can sail across the high seas
Spiders strike elaborate poses to catch the breeze and sail across salty and turbulent waters, reaching new lands quickly.
Cave centipede from hell is the deepest-dwelling ever discovered
1 July 2015
Found up to 1,100 metres below the surface, the record-breaking centipede has been given the name Geophilus hadesi, after Hades, the Greek god of the underworld.
Abominable snowmen of the sea make their way to the Museum
26 June 2015
The Museum’s first yeti crabs – so-called for their white bodies and hairy limbs – will soon be entered into the collection.
Sending moths confusing sex signals is saving Museum specimens
19 June 2015
Convincing male clothes moths to chase other males is reducing the Museum's pest population.
Explore virtual reality with David Attenborough's First Life
5 June 2015
Journey back in time with David Attenborough to Earth’s ancient oceans.
Were feathered dinosaurs the norm?
3 June 2015
Paul Barret comments on controversy over whether all dinosaurs were feathered or not.
Two fishes named after Museum scientists
18 May 2015
Fish experts Oliver Crimmen and Ralf Britz have had species named for them to honour their work and dedication.
Weird Chilean dinosaur is plant-eating theropod
1 May 2015
Museum dinosaur expert Paul Barrett comments on a new species of dinosaur that has unusual mix of meat-eating and plant-eating features.
Spot UK orchids and help research climate change impact
23 April 2015
Look out for orchids and help scientists see how climate change is affecting flowering times.
BBC Radio 4 Natural Histories series announced
19 April 2015
Museum announces a partnership with BBC Radio 4 to begin 2 June 2015.
More proof ice age Britons had cannibalistic habits
16 April 2015
Research on human remains from Gough's Cave points to ritual cannibalism.
Deep-sea shipworms revealed by micro-CT scans
15 April 2015
Micro-CT scans of wood have revealed clues about the lives of a strange deep-sea wood-eating creature, nicknamed a shipworm.
Major study shows biodiversity losses can be reversed
1 April 2015
A new study gives a global view of biodiversity damage since the 1500s. There has been an average drop of 14 per cent in local ecosystems.
Dive into the secret cities of the sea
26 March 2015
A live coral reef and a panoramic virtual dive are just some of the amazing sights in store for visitors to the new Museum exhibition, Coral Reefs: Secret Cities of the Sea.
Strange mammals' family tree mystery solved
19 March 2015
Museum scientists have revealed the closest relations to ancient South American ungulates.
Humans in Ancient Britain display opens at Creswell Crags
14 March 2015
The Museum's new display tells the story of Neanderthals and modern humans in the UK and opens on 14 March.
More complexity in early human evolution in East Africa
5 March 2015
Studies on two jawbones, one 2.8 million years old and the other 1.8, give more clues to human origins.
Weight of the world’s most complete Stegosaurus revealed
4 March 2015
The Museum's 150-million-year-old Stegosaurus stenops would have weighed around 1,600kg in life, similar to the size of a small rhino.
Photo competition asks what climate change means to you
3 March 2015
Enter the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s #BackClimateAction image competition for a chance to win prizes.
Fossils used to predict impact of global warming on marine life
1 March 2015
Researchers have identified the key environmental impacts on marine animals during natural global warming 183 million years ago.
Scientific garden to show at Malvern Spring Festival
19 February 2015
Britain’s crop wild relatives will feature in the first scientific garden to show at the Royal Horticultural Society event.
Solving scientific problems with Lego
6 February 2015
Natural History Museum scientists have created a tool made from Lego to hold and manipulate delicate specimens such as tiny insects.
Blue whale to take centre stage at the Museum
29 January 2015
A vast blue whale skeleton is set to welcome visitors through the Museum's main entrance from summer 2017. The whale will take the place of the Diplodocus cast that has stood in Hintze Hall for 35 years.
Ancient sea saw arrives at the Museum
27 January 2015
An exceptional example of the saw-like nose of an extinct fish has made its way into the Museum’s collection.
Litter found in the remotest parts of the deep sea
20 January 2015
Rubbish found in the deep sea more than 1,000km (600 miles) from the coast reveals the truly global impact of human activities.
Hidden ecosystems explored with the help of UK schools
14 January 2015
Schools across the UK can now collaborate with the Museum on cutting-edge genetic research into the diversity of microscopic species living on buildings.
