#naturalhistorymuseum

[julieschulerart]

The Big Fish 9" x 12" acrylic on paper. $90 https://jschulerart.etsy.com/listing/511341310

[naturalsciencesbelgium]

The Great Auk: the 'original' penguin

This is the Great Auk! An animal that is extinct since the 19th century.

With its distinctive white patch situated between the eyes and beak, the great auk was also the first bird to bear the name "Penguin": with "Pen" in Welsh for "Head" and "Gwyn" for "White".Sailors then continued to use the term, not only for this particular bird, but also for any other diving and flightless bird seen in the southern hemisphere: the penguins we know today!

This bird was about 75 centimeters in length and weighed some 5 kg. That's quite large in comparison to its extant relatives. The great auk could have been able to dive as deep as 70 meters, while remaining underwater for up to 15 minutes.

But their aquatic prowess may have come at the expense of their land-based abilities. Due to the placement of their legs, very far back, great auks moved very slowly once on land, which made them easy prey.To keep away from predators, great auks spent their breeding seasons on islands, gathered in large groups.

Unfortunately, this made them easy targets for hunters: these birds were sought after for their meat, as well as their skin and feathers as a resource to create objects, or their grease for lamp oil. Others were captured and used as fishing bait.

Laws were created in an attempt to save the species, but this over-hunting, added to the loss of their habitat, had caused too much damage for the population of great auks.In 1835, the last surviving colony of about 40 individuals was discovered on the Eldey Island.

At the same time, the fewer individuals left, the more valuable these animals were for rich European collectors. In 1844, the last couple of great auks was killed by a group of hunters along with their unhatched eggs, marking the end of this species.

Great Auks were already swimming along our coasts 48.000 years ago, but all that remains of them today are fossilized bones, empty eggshells and specimens kept in museums. The last male is preserved in our collections.

[alvinmarktan]

Sketching more students at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. I’m partnering with Overjoyed for an upcoming Sketching People. If you would like to understand the nuts and bolts of sketching people: click on the link in the profile for more info. https://tasagallery.com/product/people-sketching-with-alvin-mark-tan-sun-12th-mar/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #illustration #skech #sketchbook #sketchbookskool #linework #linedrawing #スケッチ #스케치 #urbansketchers #usk #urbansketching #moonman2 #sketchwalker #alfdoodles #sketch #sgartist #sketchingpeople #peoplesketch #leekongchian #naturalhistorymuseum (at Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpMBIZCy9V4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colonialcapitaltours]

Discover dinosaur fossils, explore the natural world, and more at the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum in Washington D.C.

The museum is home to some of the most famous artifacts in the world such as the Hope Diamond. Other exhibits include the amazing insect zoo, the grand ocean hall, and the dazzling fossil hall.

[dropsofsciencenews]

The Eye of Sauron in the Amazon

ITA version ESP version

It is not always easy to agree on a name for new species, but researchers at the Natural History Museum in London had no doubts when they encountered new species of vegetarian piranhas.

But let’s take a step back. In the past, defining an animal as belonging to a new species often relied on morphological characteristics. This is the case with the genus Myloplus, particularly the species Myloplus schomburgkii. Under this name, fish were grouped together that could be easily recognised by their vertical black bar in the centre of the body and their diet mainly consisting of plants and some insects, despite their close relationship to piranhas. Through a new and careful morphological analysis of multiple specimens combined with DNA barcoding, researchers realised that within the species Myloplus schomburgkii, there were actually two other species, all with a dark vertical bar on the side, but genetically distinct!

The two new species were named M. aylan and M. sauron. The specific name M. aylan honours the late Aylan Moraes Andrade, the son of Carine Moraes and Marcelo Andrade, one of the authors, who passed away prematurely. The specific name M. sauron alludes to the Eye of Sauron from J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” as its body is marked with a vertical black bar tapering towards both ends, resembling the famous vertical-pupilled eye from the novel. Additionally, some specimens also have orange spots on their bodies, just like the Eye!

How did the researchers realise they were dealing with multiple species? They found significant molecular distances between the three lineages, well beyond the minimum threshold for fish species DNA barcoding (2%-3%). Myloplus schomburgkii differs from M. aylan and M. sauron by 7.9% and 9.7% respectively. The distance between M. aylan and M. sauron was even greater, at 11%.

The differences between the three species are not limited to genetics. To a keen eye, the same dark vertical bar can be easily used to distinguish the three species. Myloplus schomburgkii has a uniformly wide vertical dark bar compared to the two new species. In M. sauron, the vertical black bar tapers towards the ends forming tapered distal points, while in M. aylan, the vertical dark bar has a broader region near the lateral line and the ends do not taper.

The naming of the new species M. aylan and M. sauron reflects the deep connection between science and society, where every name tells a story. This discovery, made possible through a combination of morphological and genetic analyses, reminds us that our understanding of the natural world is continuously evolving. Nature always surprises us, and the identification of these new species highlights how vast and still partly unknown the animal kingdom is. The researchers invite us to maintain a watchful and curious eye, just like the Eye of Sauron, to continue exploring and discovering the wonders of nature.

Source

[mcgaggs]

[grandplazakensington]

Immerse Yourself in History at the Natural History Museum with Park City Grand Plaza! Explore the wonders of the past and the marvels of the present, just moments away from our hotel. . Book directly with us this August and enjoy an exclusive 35% OFF on your stay, making your visit to London's iconic museum even more memorable.

[artemholubievgolubev]

These are representatives of the animal world of the Pleistocene ecosystems of Europe.

The picture visualizes the herbivores of the Ice Age, some of which still live today.

Set of 4 prints canvas wall art Animals of Pleistocene ecosystems. Ice age long narrow wall art. Prehistoric polyptych nature wall art for your unique home decor. Gallery wall set for aesthetic room. Real man wall art decor

This exclusive and unrepeatable painting can be purchased here:

[cath-bathgriffin]

The time Mum and I went to the Natural History Museum just to look at the dinosaurs…..because we’re adults 😁 #naturalhistorymuseum #london #museum #photography #building #naturalhistory #buildingphotography #buildingarchitecture #architecture (at Natural History Museum, London) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpP5AeCtHRZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[brainyheroine-blog]

Date Night: Mystery at the Museum Edition was amazing!!!! #Datenight #MarriedNerds #lovehim #LuckyMe #naturalhistorymuseum (at Las Vegas Natural History Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co1MtKpOEQO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[julieschulerart]

The Big Fish. 9" x 12" acrylic on paper. $95 https://jschulerart.etsy.com/listing/511341310

[douglasena]

Museu de História Natural de Londres 🇬🇧 Natural History Museum 🇬🇧 #naturalhistorymuseum #london #new #2023 #free #coldday #winter #uk #portuguese #europe #england #feel #me (em Natural History Museum, London) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxJlqyNIzA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[alvinmarktan]

Sketching my students at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. I’m partnering with Overjoyed for an upcoming Sketching People. If you would like to understand the nuts and bolts of sketching people: click on the link in the profile for more info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #illustration #skech #sketchbook #sketchbookskool #linework #linedrawing #スケッチ #스케치 #urbansketchers #usk #urbansketching #moonman2 #sketchwalker #alfdoodles #sketch #sgartist #sketchingpeople #peoplesketch #leekongchian #naturalhistorymuseum (at Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co_g3VyS3za/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fashioneyesta]

A wise woman once told me: “when knowledge is free you should take it.” . . . One of my favourite things to do on my days off is to visit a museum. Living in London you are very lucky to have the pic of so many museums on your doorstep. I haven’t visited the Natural History Museum since I was at school myself and it’s been somewhere I’ve wanted to revisit for awhile. it really is such a breathtaking building and there’s so many interesting exhibitions in there about the history of our planet, our evolution and all the creatures that have walked this earth before us. what is your favourite museum to visit? . . . 📷 @welleyenever . . . #NaturalHistoryMuseum #NaturalHistory #NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon #London #LondonLife #LondonGirl #LondonDiaries #Londonist #ThingsToDoInLondon #LondonCity #LondonLove #Joanie #JoanieGal #RomanticAcademia #RomanticAcademiaAesthetic #LightAcademia #LightAcademiaAesthetic #LightAcademiaFashion #DiscoverUnder10K (at Natural History Museum, London) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnki608qfee/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[goldendemo]

tagged by @polniaczek for my top 4 comfort albums, thank u! format link here

I'll tag @soulsilv @bugsongs @naturalhistorymuseums @ophiiolite @macaronishoes if any of u would like to! no pressure tho

(honorary mention to out of the blue by elo which came in a tight fifth place)

[60000beesinatrenchcoat]

[video description: a 20-second, close-up clip of a yellow, white, and black caterpillar very quickly eating a flat-leaf parsley sprig]

My fucking. Parsley. Yesterday it was a beautiful lush canopy of future seasoning and sauce ingredients and garnishes and today it is apparently an afternoon’s worth of snack to the 9+ swallowtail caterpillars getting ready to pupate lmfao. Native critters get first dibs I suppose.

Thank u to my buddy @naturalhistorymuseums for the ID