Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Scientists Resolve the Hawaiian Honeycreeper Family Tree

Smithsonian researchers have identified the genetic relationships among all the Hawaiian honeycreeper species that were known ...
Smithsonian Institution

Queen Bee Pheromones Help Daughters Decide Whether to Stay or Leave the Nest

Chemical signals help determine whether daughters remain and work for the queen or leave to establish nests of their own ...
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Extends “American Aspirations” Through Smithsonian’s 180th Anniversary Aug. 10

The Smithsonian announced today that it has extended its special exhibition “American Aspirations” through Monday, Aug. 10 when the Smithsonian will celebrate its 180th annive ...
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Fossil Footprints Reveal That an Ancient Human Relative Was Larger Than Previously Thought and Traveled in Groups 1.4 Million Years Ago

Overview of the excavated track surface with a mix of deeper hippopotamus and antelope footprints and shallower hominin tracks visible. Kay Behrensmeyer, Smithsonian. Ancient footprints preserved ...
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Scientists Discover Genetically Distinct Avocados in Nicaragua That People Transported From South America Thousands of Years Ago

A team of scientists led by researchers with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and Texas A&M University recently uncovered genetic traces of ancient migration in DNA from avocados ...
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Family Day July 25 Celebrates America’s 250th Birthday

The Smithsonian will welcome families and kids of all ages to celebrate America’s 250th birthday year during Family Day, a free, daylong event at the Arts and Industries Building Saturday, July 25, ...
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Hirshhorn Museum Partners with Art Bridges Foundation to Announce 51 Museums in Landmark National Loans Program

The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Art Bridges Foundation have chosen the 51 institutions that will participate in “50 for 50,” a national collection-sharing initiative ...
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Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Launches Augmented-Reality Experience on National Mall Celebrating Five Trailblazers

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum today launched “Unhidden Heroines,” an augmented-reality experience on the National Mall that brings to life the stories of five women who helped shape ...
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Smithsonian Reopens the Iconic and Historic Castle and the Arts and Industries Building for America’s 250th

Photos related to the openings can be found via Dropbox. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the Smithsonian will reopen two of its most iconic and historic buildings, inviting visitors to ...
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National Portrait Gallery Announces Newly Conserved “Declaration of Independence” Diorama and New Revolutionary War-Era Gallery

“Declaration of Independence diorama” by Bartlett Frost, copy after John Trumbull. Wax figures and mixed media, 1969. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Commissioned by the Portrait ...
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Half of the World’s Coral Reefs Suffered Major Bleaching During the 2014–2017 Global Heatwave

University of Guam researcher Dr. Laurie Raymundo conducting a health assessment of a bleached Acropora muricata thicket in Apra Harbor, Guam, October 2017. Credit: Dave Burdick Benefits to society ...