This Week at Natural History

Illustration by Brian Engh

Oldest Known Pterosaur in North America Unearthed in Triassic Bone Bed

Scattered amongst the crystalline tree trunks in Petrified Forest National Park lie the remains of ancient creatures that lived over 209 million years ago.  Click the link below to learn about a new study led by NMNH paleobiologist Ben Kligman, which details the discovery of a new pterosaur species (the oldest flying reptile in North America), spiney-neck turtles, freshwater sharks, an armadillo-like crocodile relative and other rare fossils.

Image credit: Felipe Villegas, Instituto Humboldt

Curious Catfish: New Genus Discovered in Colombia’s Most Endangered River

The winding waterways of the Magdalena-Cauca Basin are home to nearly 80% of Colombia’s human population, and over 238 species of freshwater fishes.  But even in these densely populated rivers, undescribed species are still hiding in plain sight. Click the link below to learn how NMNH researcher Cristhian Camilo Conde Saldaña helped discover an entirely new catfish genus, including four new species!

Image credit: Company | E

Here is our latest programming guide. Click here for a full schedule of upcoming public programs and a link to previously scheduled video webinars.

For Families

The World & Me: Caring for the Future of our Planet with Company | E and Sound Impact
Join us for a performance featuring local dancers from Company | E and musicians from Sound Impact, explore hands-on activities with museum specimens, and discover ways to make an impact in taking care of Earth for future generations during this special The World and Me program.
Saturday, July 12, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, Ground Floor

The World & Me: Life ON and IN the Ocean!
Explore life IN and ON the ocean with our friends from Living Classrooms. Come learn from educators about sailors, working on a boat, how boats communicate with one another, and where you can visit the Mildred Belle, a Chesapeake Bay buyboat. Look up close at oysters and specimens from our museum's collections while being inspired to design your own postage stamp in celebration of buyboats like the Mildred Belle.
Saturday, August 2, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, Ground Floor

For Adults

Q?rius After Hours - July
Enjoy an evening of free play that will connect you to the natural world in Q?rius, the Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center. Come in and explore at your own pace. Feed your curiosity opening specimen drawers in the Q?rius Collection, sit down and do a puzzle with old or new friends, try a board game, talk with experts, or lose track of time making art inspired by the natural world. Check out these featured topics and experts for July:

• The Biology of Berries with NMNH botany laboratory technician Gabriel Johnson
• Knot Tying, Chesapeake Bay Maritime History and Sailing Tools with the crew of Mildred Belle, the Living Classrooms Foundation’s Chesapeake Bay buyboat
• What Was Insect Pollination Like before the Origin of Flowering Plants? NMNH paleoecologist Conrad Labandeira
• The Art of Preserving Plants featuring hands-on botany specimen preparation with NMNH botany collections manager Erika Gardner
• Try your hand at painting insect art with micro-photography

This program is designed for adults. Registration is free and highly encouraged. Space is filled at a first come first served basis.

Thursday, July 17, 2025, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, Ground Floor

For Everyone

Privacy, Security, and Safety in Digital Space
How privacy-aware are you online? Is it safe to share personal information in a group text? How do targeted ads work? Come chat with a team of computer scientists and privacy researchers from the John Hopkins University and the University of Notre Dame. Ask them about digital privacy and test your skills at being safe online!
Friday, July 18, 2025, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Cellphone Exhibition Hall, 2nd Floor

For Educators

Smithsonian Education Summit 2025
Register now for the 2025 Smithsonian National Education Summit! Join us online or in person in D.C. for over 40 sessions designed to prepare educators for the nation's 250th anniversary.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, July 15, 16, and 17, 2025

Thank you for your interest in NMNH! Your generosity enables the museum to address the big questions that society faces and our fundamental understanding of how people and nature interact. Click the links below to help us spark curiosity, discovery, and learning about the natural world and our place in it.