News
Get breaking news from world-leading scientists.
Discover new species and explore pioneering research into life on Earth. Hear our experts' take on science news from around the world.
The headlines
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News
Everyone should live within a 15-minute walk of nature
The UK government has released plans to restore the natural world.
31 January 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 -
News
Increasing light pollution is drowning out the stars
Nights are becoming around 10% lighter each year, which has implications for the health of both humans and wildlife.
19 January 2023 -
News
Fossilised nests of the world's largest dinosaur discovered in India
More than 250 titanosaur eggs have been uncovered in India, revealing more about the lives of some of the largest animals which ever lived.
18 January 2023
Research from our scientists
Behind the scenes, hundreds of Museum scientists study every aspect of life in our galaxy - from far-flung planets to the insects in our gardens. Explore their discoveries.
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Science news
An expedition explores the seas around remote South Atlantic islands
Museum scientists joined a six-week voyage to understand more about the fragile and rarely studied environments surrounding South Atlantic islands.
3 February 2023 -
Science news
Unique trilobite trident could be the oldest evidence of male sexual combat
Fighting for mates may be a behaviour that dates back over 400 million years.
16 January 2023 -
Science news
Earliest insect ears reveal the soundscape of the dinosaur age
Katydids are the earliest known animals to evolve complex communication using sound.
13 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
Early dinosaur skulls show how meat-eaters became vegetarian
The skulls of early herbivores are helping scientists to understand how a diverse group of dinosaurs evolved different ways of eating plants.
4 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
Environment news
Nature needs our help. Get updates on the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and more.
Critically Endangered Yangtze finless porpoise shows signs of recovery
A suspension of sand mining offers hope that the species could recover.
16 January 2023
The world's oldest DNA represents a two-million-year-old ecosystem
DNA found in Greenland has broken the record for the oldest yet discovered.
7 December 2022
Dinosaur news
The Museum houses one of the world's most important dinosaur collections. Discover more about how it is supporting research into these prehistoric animals.
In our blog series, Dinosaur diaries, hear from the palaeontology team as they give their take on breaking dinosaur news from around the world.
New species
Thousands of new animals and plants are discovered every year. Hundreds of them are found by scientists at the Museum.
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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
Human evolution news
New discoveries about how we became human are being made all the time. Innovative technologies are allowing us to understand the history of humanity in more detail than ever before.
Explore findings from the Museum's Centre for Human Evolution Research.
Space news
Our scientists are working at the forefront of space research, collaborating on missions to Mars and beyond.
From field to Vault, how the largest Winchcombe meteorite was found
The fireball that fell from the sky in February 2021 has been formally classified as the Winchcombe meteorite. The largest piece, which was discovered in a field of sheep poo, is now on display in The Vault gallery.
All news
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Science news
An expedition explores the seas around remote South Atlantic islands
Museum scientists joined a six-week voyage to understand more about the fragile and rarely studied environments surrounding South Atlantic islands.
3 February 2023 -
News
Everyone should live within a 15-minute walk of nature
The UK government has released plans to restore the natural world.
31 January 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 -
News
Increasing light pollution is drowning out the stars
Nights are becoming around 10% lighter each year, which has implications for the health of both humans and wildlife.
19 January 2023 -
News
Fossilised nests of the world's largest dinosaur discovered in India
More than 250 titanosaur eggs have been uncovered in India, revealing more about the lives of some of the largest animals which ever lived.
18 January 2023 -
Science news
Unique trilobite trident could be the oldest evidence of male sexual combat
Fighting for mates may be a behaviour that dates back over 400 million years.
16 January 2023 -
News
Critically Endangered Yangtze finless porpoise shows signs of recovery
The Yangtze finless porpoise has faced habitat loss and a reduced range as a result of sand mining, but a suspension of the practice offers hope that they could recover.
16 January 2023 -
Science news
Earliest insect ears reveal the soundscape of the dinosaur age
Katydids are the earliest known animals to evolve complex communication using sound.
13 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 -
News
Origin of fireball spotted falling across UK last night discovered
An orange-sized space rock blazed across the skies on Monday 9 January.
10 January 2023 -
News
First rocket to attempt orbit from UK set to blast off in Cornwall
Virgin Orbit is hoping to launch a rocket carrying a payload of satellites into space from Spaceport Cornwall at Newquay Airport.
10 January 2023 -
News
Invasive rats are affecting the behaviour of algae-farming fish
Invasive rats are devastating tropical islands, with effects reaching far beyond the land.
5 January 2023 -
Science news
Early dinosaur skulls show how meat-eaters became vegetarian
The skulls of early herbivores are helping scientists to understand how a diverse group of dinosaurs evolved different ways of eating plants.
4 January 2023 -
News
The conservation success stories of 2022
Here are just 20 of the ways humanity's efforts to help nature paid dividends in 2022.
4 January 2023 -
News
Three Museum scientists awarded on the New Year Honours list
Professor Chris Stringer has been awarded a CBE and Dr Sandra Knapp and Dr Richard Fortey an OBE.
31 December 2022 -
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
Fossils give clues as to how turtles might respond to a warming planet
Current turtle habitats are likely to become unsuitable, but new areas could become available.
21 December 2022 -
News
Male wasps can use their genitals to fight off predatory frogs
One of the most unusual self-defence techniques in the animal kingdom has been uncovered.
19 December 2022 -
Science news
Stromboli's 'rejuvenation' heralds era of more variable volcanic eruptions
An unexpected series of eruptions at Stromboli may be due to changes in the volcano's internal 'plumbing'.
16 December 2022 -
Science news
Underground wildlife is slow to recover from soil damage
Intensively used land isn't just harmful to biodiversity we can see – it's also harming the wildlife living under the ground.
13 December 2022 -
News
Walrus spotted on beach in southern UK
A walrus has been seen hauled out on a beach in Hampshire, UK.
12 December 2022 -
News
Ankylosaurs may have used their tail clubs to fight each other, not predators
Competition between ankylosaurs may be responsible for their iconic tail clubs.
7 December 2022 -
News
The world's oldest DNA represents a two-million-year-old ecosystem
DNA found in Greenland has broken the record for the oldest yet discovered.
7 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
Wildlife Photographer of the Year: People's Choice 2023
Discover the stories behind the stunning images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year's 2023 People's Choice Award.
1 December 2022 -
Science news
South African fossils reveal the lost world of ancient invertebrates
Leeches, mites and plants found at the site are revealing the ecosystems ancient animals walked over 260 million years ago.
30 November 2022 -
News
Mussels in the Thames have declined by 95% since the 1960s
Native mussels in the River Thames are in decline, with some species having disappeared since a landmark study in 1964.
28 November 2022 -
Science news
Understanding the geology of Mars in the hunt for life
Data being collected from the surface of Mars are already providing a glut of information about Jezero crater.
25 November 2022 -
News
Giant glyptodont armadillos may have been hunted by early South Americans
A chink in the armour of giant South American armadillos may have left them vulnerable to human hunting.
25 November 2022 -
News
Evidence of the world's oldest meal may have been discovered
Algae and bacteria were on the menu for the early animal Kimberella shortly before it was buried over 500 million years ago.
24 November 2022 -
Science news
Ancient Martian rivers discovered at planned ExoMars rover landing site
The next rover to land on Mars could discover signs of a once mighty river ecosystem.
22 November 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
Tadpoles have an eye on the future as their vision develops
Frog lenses develop differently depending on what environment they will live in as adults.
16 November 2022 -
Science news
Winchcombe meteorite delivers extraterrestrial water to Earth
The origins of a meteorite which lit up skies above the UK last year have been revealed.
16 November 2022 -
Science news
Earliest human fossils in the UK reveal how ancient Europeans were connected
Fossils discovered in Sussex were compared to human remains found in Spain from a similar time period to see if the populations are linked.
14 November 2022 -
Science news
The oldest evidence of life on Earth could help us discover ancient life on Mars
Minute structures found in 3.48-billion-year-old Australian rocks are the oldest evidence of life on Earth.
11 November 2022 -
Science news
Destruction of forests and grasslands is biggest cause of biodiversity loss
A new study has looked at what is driving the biodiversity crisis.
9 November 2022 -
News
Some mouthbrooding fish eat their children to reduce stress
Fish raised in their mother's mouth can sometimes end up their parent's next meal.
9 November 2022 -
News
Earliest gibbon fossil unlocks clues about the history of apes
The discovery of a seven million-year-old gibbon fossil has filled a long-elusive gap in the fossil record.
7 November 2022 -
News
COP27: What to expect from 2022's climate change conference
Demands for climate action are stronger than ever as the world comes together once again to discuss the rapidly warming world.
4 November 2022 -
News
Dams threaten populations of Australia's duck-billed platypus
Dam building in Australia is reducing gene flow between platypus groups, piling pressure on populations whose numbers are already falling.
3 November 2022 -
News
Rediscovered casts bring back historic ichthyosaur fossil destroyed in war
The first complete ichthyosaur skeleton has resurfaced, despite being thought destroyed during World War Two.
2 November 2022 -
Science news
Neanderthal extinction may have been caused by sex, not fighting
The question of how the Neanderthals died out remains one of the biggest mysteries in human evolution.
31 October 2022 -
Science news
Aye-aye recorded picking nose and eating snot for the first time
The aye-aye is one of 12 primates that pick their nose - but we have no good reason why the behaviour evolved.
27 October 2022 -
Science news
More sociable mammals evolve quicker than solitary ones
The study could help in predicting how species will respond to the rapidly changing environment.
27 October 2022 -
Science news
Exceptional Jurassic fossil lizard sheds light on early lizard evolution
The most complete Jurassic fossil lizard ever found has been discovered in Scotland.
26 October 2022 -
Science news
The oldest human DNA in the UK reveals two distinct populations in late Ice Age Britain
The sequencing of the oldest human DNA in the UK so far.
24 October 2022 -
Science news
Sinuses offer new way of studying the evolution of ancient humans
While their function remains uncertain, the sinuses provide an insight into how ancient human skulls changed over time.
21 October 2022 -
News
First wild European bison born in the UK for thousands of years
A herd of bison released into woodland near Canterbury, Kent, have surprised conservationists by giving birth to a calf.
21 October 2022 -
Science news
Outer solar system near Neptune and Uranus was source of rare asteroids
A large part of the asteroid belt may have been formed out on the fringes of the Solar System.
20 October 2022 -
News
Siberian remains could represent first-known Neanderthal community
Neanderthals may have lived in small groups of around 10 to 20, with females moving between the different communities.
19 October 2022 -
News
World war shipwrecks are leaking pollutants into the world's oceans
Carcinogenic fuel, explosives and chemical weapons are leaking into the seas from sunken naval vessels.
18 October 2022 -
News
Feeding British red squirrels is changing their skulls
Red squirrels are developing differently depending on the region of the UK they live in.
17 October 2022 -
News
Mummified dinosaur could show evidence of scavenging by ancient crocodiles
Scavengers could help to preserve the soft tissue of the ancient reptiles by removing flesh and fluid from the body shortly after death.
13 October 2022 -
News
Wildlife populations have crashed by 69% within less than a lifetime
We know the problems, but we also know how to fix them.
13 October 2022 -
Science news
New way of understanding Earth's ecosystems could help to restore them
The new Global Typology of Ecosystems provides an important step towards characterising the true diversity of life on Earth at its largest scale.
12 October 2022 -
News
Unlocking wheat's genetic secrets to feed the world
A new project aims to use the Museum's historic collections to investigate how the genome of wheat has changed.
12 October 2022 -
News
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 winning images
Winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 announced.
11 October 2022 -
News
Dormancy in malarial mosquitoes may offer new ways to fight disease
A process mosquitoes use to weather harsh conditions offers new opportunities in the fight against malaria.
10 October 2022 -
Science news
Scottish fossil reveals clues about the earliest pterosaurs
Living over 200 million years ago, Scleromochlus helps to show how ancient reptiles took their first steps towards flight.
5 October 2022 -
News
Wax moth caterpillar spit could be used to break down plastic waste
Mass producing the proteins in the saliva could provide a cheap and effective way to break down polyethylene waste.
4 October 2022 -
News
Researcher who sequenced Neanderthal genome awarded Nobel Prize
Professor Svante Pääbo, considered a founding father of palaeogenomics, has helped to reveal how humans evolved, and how we relate to our closest relatives.
3 October 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
How scientists are saving Ukraine's cultural heritage during the Russian invasion
In the midst of war, scientists have been working to protect historic artworks.
28 September 2022 -
Science news
Ryugu asteroid samples offer insight into early years of the solar system
Researchers have caught a glimpse of the cosmos just two million years after the formation of the solar system.
22 September 2022 -
Science news
Climate change will increase termite activity, releasing more carbon dioxide
Termites could reduce the amount of carbon stored in wood as the world gets hotter and drier.
22 September 2022 -
Science news
Early English Anglo-Saxons descended from mass European migration
The people after which England is named made up more than three quarters of the nation's genetic ancestry during the early Middle Ages.
21 September 2022 -
Science news
Ancient crater lakes on Mars could have hosted life
Investigating Mars' dry lakes could help scientists to discover how life began on Earth.
16 September 2022 -
Science news
The oldest known animal with mammalian-like teeth unearthed in Brazil
The dental record of a small animal has pushed back the origin of mammals by 20 million years.
16 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 -
Science news
Size, not sex, is key to the development of wildebeest horns
Female wildebeest are engaged in an evolutionary arms race - but scientists aren't sure why.
14 September 2022 -
News
Net zero is cheaper and greener than continuing the use of fossil fuels
Going green is no longer just the smart decision – it's also the most profitable one.
13 September 2022