Museum scientists described 503 new species in 2020. A new species of red seaweed Corallina chamberlainiae is helping to show how the waters surround the islands of the south Atlantic are connected © Brodie at al. 2020
Our scientists
More than 300 scientists work here in earth and life sciences, our core research labs and library and archives.
Our research
An acclaimed research institution, we publish over 700 scientific papers a year with international collaborators.
Our collections
Our 80 million objects span 4.5 billion years, from the formation of the solar system to the present day.
The Natural History Museum at Harwell
The Museum has secured investment from the UK Government to build a new science and digitisation centre at Harwell Science Campus, a science and technology hub outside Oxford.
Science news
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Science newsSeals have evolved two different ways to swim
Seals either swim with their tails or with their flippers.
7 May 2021 -
Science newsNot feeding as a tadpole speeds up frog evolution
Frog skulls have revealed that a frog's environment is the main driver of its skull shape, but that tadpole feeding behaviour influences how fast frogs evolve.
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Science newsEvolving a bigger brain isn't always about intelligence
It's more common for mammals to have evolved smaller body sizes which makes it look like the brain is getting bigger.
28 April 2021 -
Science newsProlonged suckling has vastly limited marsupial evolution
Marsupials have missed out on their evolutionary potential because of how they reproduce.
28 April 2021
Our work
Discovery, origins and evolution
We are studying the key transitions in the evolution of life on Earth and predicting the impact of environmental change in the future.
Anthropocene and sustainability
Our expertise in taxonomy, systematics and mineralogy is driving research aimed at securing the future of our food, health and natural materials.
UK biodiversity
We are developing new molecular and digital tools for discovering biodiversity.
Collections
Find out why our 80 million specimens are a globally important resource for scientific reference and research.
Science departments and staff
Meet the 350 scientific staff at the heart of our world-class research and collections.
Library and Archives
Explore one of the world's finest collections of natural history literature, artwork, photographs and manuscripts.
Core research labs and consulting
Discover how specialist staff prepare, analyse and interpret samples in our state-of-the-art facilities.
Courses and students
Undertake professional and postgraduate training including PhD, MSc and MRes courses in our areas of expertise.
The life of a Museum scientist
Read the latest blog posts from our scientists.
Digital collections
We are digitising large parts of the collections and giving online access to the data.