Archived news articles

December

• Killer petunias and murderous potatoes - 10/12/2009

  Could petunias be killers? Or potatoes be murderous? Yes, according to new research.

• Gordon Brown answers young people's questions on climate change - 04/12/2009

  The Prime Minister and other senior ministers gave a Q and A session on climate change in the Museum's new Darwin Centre this morning.

November

• International year of biodiversity UK launch - 26/11/2009

  Does biodiversity matter? Now is your chance to find out as the International Year of Biodiversity UK launches.

• Origin of Species book anniversary - 24/11/2009

  Today is the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species.

• Book reveals 300 years of natural history art - 20/11/2009

  Art of Nature is a new Natural History Museum book by Judith Magee.

• Darwin’s mockingbirds DNA research may help species recovery - 18/11/2009

  New research could help protect the future of a rare mockingbird in the Galapagos Islands.

• Fate of reefs depends on Copenhagen summit - 17/11/2009

  Coral reefs could be condemned to extinction at next month’s Copenhagen climate summit, warns Pavan Sukhdev of the UN Environment Programme.

• Museum magazine evolves - 16/11/2009

  Who has a brain the size of a pea? Who needs to label 100,000 butterflies? Why would you deliberately hunt viruses?

• How much is nature worth? - 13/11/2009

  £1 billion? £100 billion? £1 trillion? Pavan Sukhdev discusses at this year’s Annual Science Lecture at the Museum on Monday.

• Social network tool for natural history science - 10/11/2009

  Museum scientists create social networking tool called Scratchpads.

• Unusual meteorite found by time-lapse camera observatory - 05/11/2009

  An unusual meteorite with an interesting orbit has been tracked to the ground.

• T.rex's oldest ancestor identified - 04/11/2009

  A near-complete 165-million-year-old dinosaur skull in the Museum’s collection is identified.

October

• Woo a worm at society launch event - 30/10/2009

  Woo a worm in London’s Hyde Park this Saturday at the launch of the Earthworm Society of Britain.

• Smallest dinosaur in North America uncovered - 22/10/2009

  A new species of pigeon-sized dinosaur is the smallest ever found in North America.

• Winning wildlife photos 2009 revealed - 22/10/2009

  Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners are announced.

• Tiny UK parasitoid wasp discovered - 20/10/2009

  A new parasitoid wasp that feeds on a whitefly pest has been discovered in the UK.

• Evolution axe goes on display - 19/10/2009

  A flint hand axe that helped reveal humankind's ancient age goes on display.

• Spiders and more explored in new Arachnid book - 16/10/2009

  Scared of spiders? Intrigued by ticks? Explore this new Museum book Arachnids.

• New flying reptile clues to rapid evolution - 14/10/2009

  New pterosaur species shows evidence that evolution didn't always happen in gradual steps.

• Ancient humans in Britain project gets funding - 06/10/2009

  Ancient Human Occupation of Britain (AHOB) gets £1.1million for 3rd phase.

• Ancient skeleton gives clues to human evolution - 02/10/2009

  A 4.4 million-year-old fossil skeleton of an ancient human-like creature is uncovered.

September

• Biodiversity loss weakens global development - 30/09/2009

  Goals set to alleviate poverty won't be met unless we address biodiversity loss.

• Look for lichen and help air survey - 29/09/2009

  Help scientists find out about England's air quality in a survey launched today.

• First underwater observatory live online - 24/09/2009

  Scientists have developed the world's first underwater observatory connected to the internet.

• Dung beetle named after Darwin - 22/09/2009

  A dung beetle from Costa Rica has been named after Charles Darwin and the Darwin Initiative.

• Give a wasp a name - 18/09/2009

  Ever fancied naming a new species? Well, now is your chance.

• Prince and tarantula join in one of first Nature Live events - 17/09/2009

  Prince William and a very large tarantula join in a Nature Live talk this week.

• Prince William opens Museum Darwin Centre - 14/09/2009

  Prince William and David Attenborough unveil the Museum's new Darwin Centre.

• Humans spread out of Africa later - 04/09/2009

  Modern humans spread out of Africa 20,000 years later than previously thought.

• Prince to open Museum's new Darwin Centre - 01/09/2009

  His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales will be guest of honour at centre's opening.

August

• People help build Encyclopedia of Life - 26/08/2009

  The public and scientists help create the first 150,000 species pages in the Encyclopedia of Life.

• Big Seaweed Search launches at Bioblitz - 21/08/2009

  The Big Seaweed Search launches and Wembury 24-hour marine Bioblitz begins in Devon today.

• Sneak preview of best wildlife photos - 19/08/2009

  First images from the world’s most prestigious wildlife photography competition are revealed.

• Mass butterfly and moth move at Museum - 14/08/2009

  More than 8 million butterflies and moths move in to the Darwin Centre.

• Tropical bird theft at Natural History Museum - 13/08/2009

  The Museum has been targeted by thieves who have stolen a number of tropical bird ‘skins’.

• Darwin Centre cocoon gets a clean - 06/08/2009

  The mammoth task of cleaning the 8-storey cocoon building is completed.

July

• Somerset cave first home after ice age - 29/07/2009

  Gough's cave was one of the first places humans returned to in Britain after last ice age.

• DNA barcode for world's plants agreed - 28/07/2009

  A DNA barcode to identify the world's plants has been agreed by an international team of scientists.

• Go barmy about bats this weekend - 24/07/2009

  Celebrate bats with special family events this weekend at the Museum.

• Darwin Centre opens on 15 September 2009 - 16/07/2009

  Get ready to experience the Natural History Museum’s metamorphosis.

June

• Duck-billed dinosaurs had unique chew - 30/06/2009

  Hadrosaurs could chew in a very unusual way, scientists announce today.

• Dippy gets a spring clean - 29/06/2009

  The Museum’s much loved Diplodocus dinosaur has received its annual spring clean.

• After Darwin Contemporary Expressions opens - 26/06/2009

  Leading artists and writers are brought together for the Museum’s contemporary arts exhibition.

• Elephant fossil returns to Barnstaple - 23/06/2009

  Ancient elephant fossils return to Barnstaple more than 160 years later.

• Oldest evidence of giant sperm - 19/06/2009

  The oldest evidence for reproduction with giant sperm has been uncovered in the Natural History Museum’s collections.

• Woolly mammoth was recent resident - 18/06/2009

  Woolly mammoths survived in Shropshire, UK, up until 14,000 years ago.

• Museum insect detectives join forensic team - 16/06/2009

  Museum insect detectives have teamed up with the Forensic Science Service.

• Museum celebrates 25 millionth visitor - 16/06/2009

  Today the Natural History Museum welcomed its 25 millionth visitor.

• Neanderthal of the North Sea - 15/06/2009

  Scientists have identified a fragment of Neanderthal skull in sediments extracted from the bottom of the North Sea.

• Bumblebee re-introduced to UK - 12/06/2009

  A campaign is launched to re-introduce the short-haired bumblebee to the UK from New Zealand.

• Mass plant freeze at Museum - 05/06/2009

  Three million plant specimens are being frozen to make sure they stay free of pests.

May

• World's longest insect is in top 10 - 29/05/2009

  The world's longest insect, on display at the Museum, is voted one of the top 10 species of 2008.

• Hippo and hobbit on display - 28/05/2009

  A small display of a dwarf hippo skull and hobbit skull copy, opens at the Museum today

• Did dinosaurs hold their heads up? - 27/05/2009

  Some dinosaurs may have held their head up like a giraffe scientists report today.

• Donated Ida fossil cast to go on display - 26/05/2009

  A cast of Ida, the 47-million-year-old lemur-like creature, goes on display.

• Evolution rocks at the fossil festival - 23/05/2009

  Visit the Evolution Rocks Fossil Festival this weekend.

• A day and year for biodiversity - 22/05/2009

  Today is the UN’s International Day for Biological Diversity.

• Lemur-like fossil gives clues to primate evolution - 19/05/2009

  A 47-million-year old fossil of a lemur-like creature reveals clues to early primate evolution.

• Did modern humans eat Neanderthals? - 17/05/2009

  A study of jaws and teeth from France reveals modern humans may have eaten Neanderthals.

• Spend a night at the Museum - 15/05/2009

  Visitors explore the Natural History Museum at Tring after hours tonight.

• Fossils book is key to the past - 14/05/2009

  The new edition of the Museum book Fossils: The Key to the Past is out now.

• Hippo's island life helps explain dwarf hobbit - 07/05/2009

  Ancient Madagascan hippos shed light on origins of small-brained hobbit. Watch the video.

April

• Dinosaurs declined before mass extinction - 30/04/2009

  Dinosaurs were dying out much earlier than previously thought say Museum scientists.

• First butterflies released for exhibition - 23/04/2009

  The first live tropical butterflies have been released today in preparation for Butterfly Jungle.

• Talk about evolution - 21/04/2009

  The Museum’s Evolution Season of free talks with scientists starts today.

• British bluebells need your help - 15/04/2009

  Museum Scientists are calling on the British public to help complete a bluebell puzzle.

• New hawkmoths on display - 07/04/2009

  Some of the spectacular hawkmoths the Museum bought with the help of public donations go on display.

• First Darwin Centre specimens unpacked - 02/04/2009

  The first of the 20 million specimens move in to the new Darwin Centre this week.

March

• Explore amazing animal migrations - 30/03/2009

  Explore extraordinary animal voyages in the new Natural History Museum book, Animal Migration.

• New bird discovered after its extinction - 26/03/2009

  After almost 120 years in the Museum collections, a new Colombian bird is discovered.

• Help watch out for worms - 24/03/2009

  Wildlife Presenter Chris Packham launches the OPAL Soil and Earthworm Survey.

• Bee exhibition at Tring - 23/03/2009

  A new exhibition creates a buzz at the Natural History Museum at Tring from today.

• Fossils reveal ancient monster predator - 19/03/2009

  Fossil fragments are pieced together to reveal a 500-million-year-old monster predator.

• Tree in the ceiling unveiled - 18/03/2009

  A 17-metre-long wafer-thin section of a 200-year-old oak tree is unveiled today. Watch a video too.

• Dracula minnow has teeth, almost - 11/03/2009

  A new species of tiny fish with huge jaw structures has been identified by Natural History Museum scientists.

• Darwin Centre staff move into cocoon - 06/03/2009

  The first group of Natural History Museum scientists have moved in to the new high-tech labs.

• Earliest modern-looking human footprints - 04/03/2009

  1.5 million-year-old footprints have been uncovered in Kenya.

February

• Social networking site for museum lovers - 27/02/2009

  If you love museums, then the new social networking website, Creative Spaces, is for you.

• Fossil fish shows oldest live birth  - 26/02/2009

  A 380-million-year-old fossil fish that shows an unborn embryo and umbilical cord has been discovered.

• Fish knew first about sex - 25/02/2009

  Fossilised pregnant fish was one of the first animals to have sex. Read more and watch a video.

• Moustache helps identify butterfly - 20/02/2009

  A new butterfly has been discovered with the help of a 90-year-old Museum specimen and its hairy mouthparts.

• Talking about Neanderthals - 12/02/2009

  Experts talk about Neanderthals and genomes at the AAAS science conference in Chicago this week.

• Museum unveils plaque for Darwin's birthday - 12/02/2009

  Celebrations for the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin were held at the Museum yesterday.

• Thames alien crab safe to eat - 11/02/2009

  Chinese mitten crabs pests that invaded the River Thames around 75 years ago are safe to eat.

• Dogs return to gallery in Museum at Tring - 06/02/2009

  Largest museum collection of dogs in the UK go back on display in the revamped Gallery 6.

January

• Climate change pushes moths up mountain - 29/01/2009

  Populations of moths living on a mountain in Borneo have moved more than 60m uphill.

• Protecting coast and sea to become law - 26/01/2009

  A new marine bill for the UK is due to become law this year.

• Look out for birds this weekend - 23/01/2009

  Get your binoculars and bird seed ready. This weekend, is the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

• Call for the world's best wildlife photos - 21/01/2009

  The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition begins its global search this week.

• Extinction survivors were bird brains - 20/01/2009

  Birds survived the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs because of their larger brains, Museum scientists report today.

• Treasures of the Natural History Museum book - 16/01/2009

  Discover more than 200 treasured Museum objects in this stunning new book.

• Oldest bird hears like an emu - 14/01/2009

  The earliest known bird, Archaeopteryx, had hearing similar to an emu, Natural History Museum scientists report today.

• London’s first Ice Sculpting Festival at Museum - 09/01/2009

  The 3-day Ice Sculpting Festival begins today at the Natural History Museum Ice Rink.

• Top 10 natural history stories from 2008 - 07/01/2009

  From the world's longest insect to a dual sex moth, read some of our fascinating top natural history stories from 2008.