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News
New species of Triassic reptile reveals lifestyle of ancient pterosaur relatives
The new species, named Venetoraptor gassenae, suggests that the lagerpetids were more diverse than previously realised.
17 August 2023 -
Science news
Pacific wasp named as a new species over a century after first being spotted
The discovery of a new parasitoid wasp could help to save an Endangered Pacific butterfly.
7 August 2023 -
News
New fossil whale might have been the world’s heaviest-ever animal
Fossils found in Peru are redefining the history of whale evolution.
2 August 2023 -
News
New species of palm found to flower and fruit underground
A newly described palm species from Borneo has been discovered with the unusual phenomenon of producing its fruit and flowers below ground.
7 July 2023 -
News
New flying gecko species reveals hidden biodiversity of northern India
The oldest group of lizards has just gained their newest member.
12 June 2023 -
News
New sabre-toothed species reveals 'unprecedented' impact of largest ever extinction
A new fossil predator has offered an insight into the chaotic final years of the largest extinction of all time over 250 million years ago.
26 May 2023 -
News
New species of spinosaur suggests the predators co-existed in western Europe
Protathlitis cinctorrensis is the latest to be discovered in Spain, adding to the evidence that spinosaurs first evolved in Europe.
18 May 2023 -
Science news
New group of butterflies named after Lord of the Rings villain Sauron
While there are currently only two members of the genus Saurona, many more as-yet-undescribed species are thought to exist.
7 May 2023 -
News
Oldest bat skeletons ever found described as new species
52-million-year-old fossils of Icaronycteris gunnelli offer researchers a deeper look at how bats evolved.
12 April 2023 -
News
The largest ever penguin species has been discovered in New Zealand
Kumimanu fordycei weighed an estimated 150 kilogrammes, demonstrating that penguins became large early in their evolution.
17 February 2023 -
Science news
A new species of croakless frog described from the mountain forests of Tanzania
The race is on to learn more about these fragile forests as human impacts threaten their survival.
15 February 2023 -
News
Bizarre filter-feeding pterosaur described from Germany
The ancient flying reptile would have used its toothed snout with a flared end to filter-feed.
27 January 2023 -
Science news
New species of large tortoise discovered after a century of mistaken identity
Though it may have gone extinct over 600 years ago, understanding more about Astrochelys rogerbouri could help to save its living relatives.
11 January 2023 -
Science news
Museum scientists described 351 new species in 2022
It has never been more important to describe as much of the natural world as possible.
30 December 2022 -
Science news
Gloucestershire fossil suggests modern lizards could have Triassic origins
A new species of extinct lizard has been described from the Museum's collections.
2 December 2022 -
News
Europe's largest ever turtle species has been discovered
Measuring almost four metres in length, Leviathanochelys aenigmatica reveals that giant turtles were more common than previously thought.
17 November 2022 -
Science news
An ancient hairy, armoured worm lived in the oceans over 500 million years ago
A fossil from China has filled in a major gap in the evolutionary tree for life on Earth.
29 September 2022 -
Science news
Small fossil reptile could help to explain large evolutionary mystery
The description of an extinct lizard-like animal may help reveal why its kind were rapidly pushed to the edge of extinction.
15 September 2022 -
News
New group of spiders named after David Bowie and his back catalogue
The tropical arachnids have been named after the musician to draw attention to the threats they face.
8 August 2022 -
News
Fossil teeth could represent Europe's last panda species
While the evolutionary history of the bears remains uncertain, it contributes evidence to suggestions that panda bears could have evolved in Europe.
1 August 2022 -
News
The oldest known animal predator has been uncovered in Leicestershire
The 560-million-year-old specimen of Auroralumina attenboroughii reveals that the origins of complex life may date back further than was previously known.
28 July 2022 -
Science news
Pacific expedition may have discovered over 30 new deep sea species
Over 30 potential new species, from starfish to sea cucumbers, have been discovered living at the bottom of the sea.
27 July 2022 -
News
New dinosaur species reveals short arms evolved repeatedly in theropods
The tiny arms of Tyrannosaurus rex may bring ridicule, but a new dinosaur reveals they were part of a much larger trend.
7 July 2022 -
News
The world's largest waterlily is bigger than a double bed
The world's largest waterlily has been discovered in the wetlands of northern Bolivia.
4 July 2022 -
News
First carnivorous plant to grow underground pitfall traps discovered
Nepenthes pudica is changing what we know about carnivorous species, but may already be Critically Endangered.
30 June 2022 -
News
The world's largest bacteria are visible to the naked eye
Measuring over a centimetre long, Thiomargarita magnifica is over 5000 times bigger than the average microbe.
23 June 2022 -
Science news
Largest carnivorous dinosaur in Europe unearthed on the Isle of Wight
The largest meat-eating dinosaur ever found in Europe.
9 June 2022 -
Science news
Six of the world's smallest frogs discovered in Mexico
Some of the species, described for the first time, are smaller than a 1p coin.
13 April 2022 -
News
One of the earliest sabre-toothed mammals discovered in the USA
Living over 40 million years before the sabre-tooth tiger, Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae may have preyed on rhinos and primates in the forests of California.
15 March 2022 -
Science news
New species is earliest armoured dinosaur described from Asia
It adds to the understanding of how these curious dinosaurs evolved and spread around the world.
15 March 2022 -
News
Potential new species of giant tortoise discovered in the Galápagos Islands
There is currently not enough evidence to prove they are a genuine new species, or just a distinct population of an existing one.
14 March 2022 -
Science news
New stegosaur dinosaur species could be the oldest ever discovered
Bashanosaurus primitivus adds to evidence the group of dinosaurs may have originated in Asia.
4 March 2022 -
Science news
New armless abelisaur dinosaur species discovered in Argentina
Scientists believe there could be many as yet unknown fossils to be uncovered in the region.
15 February 2022 -
Science news
New species of ancient reptile would have been an apex predator of the Middle Triassic
A new species of crocodile-like animal has been described from fossils unearthed in Tanzania.
9 February 2022 -
News
Tree named after Leonardo DiCaprio is one of 2022's first new species
A newly described species of tree has received international attention after being named in honour of actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
11 January 2022 -
Science news
Dinosaurs and meteorites: Museum scientists described 552 new species in 2021
Museum scientists have described 552 new species.
30 December 2021 -
News
First millipede with more than 1,000 legs discovered in Australia
A newly discovered millipede has claimed the title of the 'leggiest' animal in the world.
20 December 2021 -
News
The largest-ever flying animal behaved like a giant heron
The largest-ever flying animal acted like a giant heron, plucking prey from the water and launching itself into the air.
15 December 2021 -
Science news
New dinosaur species related to Iguanodon found on the Isle of Wight
A new species of dinosaur has been discovered from the Isle of Wight after a case of mistaken identity.
11 November 2021 -
Science news
New species is oldest meat-eating dinosaur found in UK
The oldest-known meat-eating dinosaur discovered in the UK has been named in honour of trailblazing Museum scientist Angela Milner, who passed away in August 2021.
6 October 2021 -
Science news
Moth predicted to exist by Darwin and Wallace becomes a new species
The moth is famous for its enormous tongue - the longest of any insect.
30 September 2021 -
Science news
Two new species of spinosaur dinosaurs discovered from Isle of Wight
Two new species of carnivorous dinosaurs have been discovered from the Isle of Wight.
29 September 2021 -
Science news
New species of dinosaur had armour unlike anything seen before
Spicomellus afer is the oldest ankylosaur ever discovered.
23 September 2021 -
News
Fabulous new rainbow fly with 'legs for days' named after drag icon RuPaul
Australian scientists are persevering in their quest to 'catch 'em all' as they name new species after pop culture icons.
16 September 2021 -
Science news
New species of snake described with the help of a 185-year-old painting
The new species is now known as Joseph's racer, was first collected in the mid-nineteenth century.
13 May 2021 -
Science news
Armoured 'slug' among 503 new species described by Museum scientists in 2020
30 December 2020 -
Science news
Two new species of worm salamanders described from the Andes
One species is known only from a single specimen in the Museum's collection.
18 December 2020 -
Science news
New species of monkey is already critically endangered
The Popa langur lives on an extinct volcano in Myanmar.
11 November 2020 -
Science news
Dragon snakeheads form a new underground fish family
The fish may be a relic population that has existed for over a hundred million years.
30 October 2020 -
Science news
40% of plants are threatened with extinction
The extinction risk to plants could be worse than previously thought, according to a landmark report.
30 September 2020 -
Science news
New species from the abyssal ocean hint at incredible deep sea diversity
New species of the deep ocean floor are helping change how we think.
21 April 2020 -
British wildlife
Twenty-five years of wildlife discoveries in the Museum garden
Wildlife Garden ecologist Sylvia Myers introduces some of our favourite finds and how we monitor the plants and animals present.
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Science news
Museum scientists described 412 new species this year
You can't protect what you don't know.
30 December 2019 -
Science news
New species named after climate activist Greta Thunberg
You are never too small to make a difference.
25 October 2019 -
Science news
Eight new species of jewel beetle have been uncovered
The beetles were collected more than 150 years ago.
27 September 2019 -
Science news
Unusual fossil worms surprise scientists
A species of wormlike marine invertebrate has been uncovered.
19 September 2019 -
Science news
The oldest stegosaur ever has been discovered in Morocco
A new species of stegosaurian dinosaur, Adratiklit boulahfa, has been described.
20 August 2019 -
Science news
An array of new snakes from India have been described
The new species highlight how much more there still is to learn about India's herpetofauna.
16 August 2019 -
Science news
New species of early dinosaur described from South Africa
It is thought to have lived 200 million years ago.
5 August 2019 -
News
New arrivals of Amazonian moss animals boost the world's largest collection
The Museum now has the largest collection of freshwater bryozoa in the world.
23 May 2019 -
Science news
New species of ancient shark discovered from the coast of Madagascar
The ancient shark was found in an unusual fossil ecosystem.
20 May 2019 -
Science news
New species of subterranean fish named after Lord of the Rings character
It has been named after Gollum due to its underground lifestyle.
9 May 2019 -
News
Homo luzonensis: new species of ancient human discovered in the Philippines
It has been named Homo luzonensis.
11 April 2019 -
Science news
New species of extinct pig-footed bandicoot described from Australia
Driven to extinction in the 1950s, very little is know about this species.
13 March 2019 -
Science news
A tiny fossil amoeba is helping us to understand how plants first bloomed
The new amoeba species is the earliest of its kind ever discovered.
24 January 2019 -
Science news
Velvet spider named after Lou Reed found in Europe for the first time
This velvet spider group was thought to live only in Africa and the Middle East.
18 January 2019 -
News
Over 270 new species discovered in 2018
They include new dinosaurs, an ancient wombat and a giant shark.
27 December 2018 -
Science news
Four new species of frog from one of the wettest regions on Earth
These horned frogs are named for their pointy eyebrows.
20 November 2018 -
Science news
Beautiful new species of swallowtail butterfly discovered on Fiji
Scientists are still unsure where the species came from.
2 November 2018 -
Science news
New species of blind eel that burrows through the soil discovered
The fish burrows underground and breaths through the lining of its mouth.
17 September 2018 -
Science news
New species of fossil wombat unearthed in the Australian outback
The fossils will help us understand how these creatures evolved over the past 40 million years.
22 August 2018 -
Science news
Two new species of Indian lizard described by Museum scientist
The discovery is expected to be followed up by more new species.
1 August 2018 -
Science news
Herd of sauropod dinosaurs become the oldest diplodocoids ever discovered
The discovery is changing how scientists think these dinosaurs evolved.
24 July 2018 -
Anthropocene
New deep-sea species discovered in Pacific conservation zones
Researchers have discovered several new animal species living on the Pacific seafloor.
17 July 2018 -
Science news
245-million-year-old reptile finally gets a name
Scientists have formally given an ancient reptile a name, over 80 years since its fossils were found in Tanzania.
29 March 2018 -
Science news
Scientist turns detective to identify mysterious moth
The arrival of a tiny moth in the Wildlife Garden sparked a scientific search of London.
26 March 2018 -
News
New life found at the bottom of Antarctic seas
A massive survey of life in the freezing seas around Antarctica has shown that they harbour many more animals than previously thought.
25 January 2018 -
News
New bee species in London garden generates buzz
A new British bee has turned out to be an overlooked, long-time resident.
9 January 2018 -
News
New native British beetle found in ancient Scottish forests
A chemist who collects insects as a pastime has spotted what generations of British entomologists have missed: a native British beetle, living in ancient Scottish pine forests.
28 September 2017 -
News
New beetle for Britain is pear tree pest
An invasive species of European beetle has been found preying on pear trees in Kent orchards.
25 September 2017 -
News
New species could help monitor impact of future deep-sea mining
The sponges live on the ocean floor on metal-rich nodules, which are targeted by deep-sea mining companies.
25 September 2017 -
News
Fearsome Jurassic crocodile named after Motörhead's Lemmy
Scientists have named a fearsome prehistoric crocodile after Motörhead frontman Lemmy.
8 August 2017 -
News
Early reptile fossil discovery gives clues to dinosaur evolution
Scientists have identified a new species of ancient reptile that fills a critical gap in the fossil record of dinosaur relatives.
12 April 2017 -
News
First dive to hydrothermal vent uncovers new deep-sea creatures
Researchers have found seven new animal species living along the Southwest Indian Ridge, 3,000 metres beneath the surface of the ocean, in an area targeted for deep-sea mining.
22 December 2016 -
News
New butterfly name dedicated to Colombian peace process
Scientists have identified a distinctive new species of ringlet butterfly and named it Magneuptychia pax in recognition of the peace process in Colombia, where the butterfly lives.
2 November 2016 -
News
New bee species breeding in Britain
A bee species more commonly found in continental Europe has been spotted in Britain for the first time.
17 October 2016 -
News
First bone-eating worm found in warm waters
Museum scientists have found that Osedax worms, which feed on the bones of whale carcasses, can live in shallow Mediterranean waters.
13 April 2016 -
News
Snake from Ethiopia identified as new viper species
A team of scientists led by Museum researchers have identified and named a new species of viper, Bitis harenna, that lives in Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park.
21 March 2016 -
News
New love bug found with heart-shaped leg
A new group of beetles with a heart-shaped leg joint has been discovered in the Belize rainforest by Museum scientist Max Barclay.
15 February 2016 -
News
Welsh 'dragon thief' is oldest known Jurassic dinosaur
An unusual fossil find in south Wales has led to the discovery of a new dinosaur species.
25 January 2016 -
Science news
New butterfly species named after Sir David Attenborough
A new species of tropical butterfly found in a remote region of South America has been named Euptychia attenboroughi, after naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
4 December 2015 -
News
Ancient amphibian fossils unearthed in Brazil
Museum scientist Dr Martha Richter helps discover two new species of extinct amphibians and the oldest reptile fossil skeleton ever found in South America.
5 November 2015 -
News
New bat species found in Museum collection
A bat preserved in alcohol for 30 years in the Museum's collection has been recognised as a new species of horseshoe bat.
31 October 2015 -
News
New highly venomous snake species discovered in Australia
A team led by a Museum scientist has discovered a new species of Australian death adder in the Kimberley region of the country.
28 August 2015 -
News
Two fishes named after Museum scientists
Fish experts Oliver Crimmen and Ralf Britz have had species named for them to honour their work and dedication.
18 May 2015