The Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) Image credit: Robert Sprackland

Intern Helps Find First Vertebrate With Two “Powerhouse” Genomes

Millions of years ago, many tuataras roamed the world. Now, only one small, but special species remains. A team including National Museum of Natural History scientists found the species may have two mitochondrial genomes, making it unlike any other vertebrate.

Leconte’s flatsedge (Cyperus lecontei) Image credit: Carol Kelloff

Get to Know the Scientist Behind the Smithsonian’s 140,000 Grass-Like Sedges

Meet Dr. Mark Strong, a botanist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, to learn more about these grassy plants and what they can tell us about sustainable life on Earth.

Here is our latest online programming guide. For a calendar view of upcoming video webinars and a link to previously scheduled video webinars, click here.

For K-12 Students

Digital School Programs for Grades K-12
Registration is open for weekday programs through February 26, 2021, at 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., Eastern Time. Please register two weeks or more in advance and arrive promptly to the online session you have reserved for your class.
Several new program topics are now being piloted:

• Grades K-2: Discovering Dinosaurs
• Grades 3-5: Urban Habitats
• Grades 6-12: Climate Change and Food

Sign your students up for a complementary "Smithsonian Science How" webinar, before or after your scheduled school program, to extend their learning about science careers and personal connections to science.

"Smithsonian Science How" Video Webinars
Connect your students to Smithsonian science experts in this series of free, live interactive webinars:

• Adaptations of Acorn Woodpeckers with Sahas Barve
  Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 1:00 p.m. ET
• What Mars Reveals about Life in Our Universe
  Explore our universe in this special collaboration with the National Air and Space Museum.
  Wednesday, March 3, 2021, 1:00 p.m. ET

Marine Science in the Morning
Join us for this a.m. video lecture series where marine science professionals share their work with you! The theme of this year's series is "Women in STEM." Next in the series:

• Science Behind Live Ecosystems Exhibits
  Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 11:00 a.m. ET
• Microbes, Chemistry, and Coral Sex
  Wednesday, February 24, 2021, 11:00 a.m. ET

For Families

Soar Together @ Air and Space Family Days: Exploring Other Worlds
The National Museum of Natural History is collaborating with the National Air and Space Museum on scavenger hunts, dance performances, discussions, and other activities that will help viewers envision potential futures on our planet and others. Come explore what we can learn about the universe by studying Earth (and about Earth by studying other planets) and imagine what kind of a planet you would like to live on.

Join us on Friday, February 12, at 1:00 p.m. ET for Dancing the Milky Way, an interactive webinar to discover how we can turn data collected from space, usually viewed as colors in an image, into sound and body movement!

Visit the Air and Space Museum's Soar Together: Exploring Other Worlds website for the schedule of programs, activities, and updates.

Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13, 2021

Camp Croods at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Join us for an interactive virtual event based on the family animated film "The Croods: A New Age," sponsored by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Visit Camp Croods and take a journey back in time to explore evidence scientists use to understand the lives of early humans.

How do scientists uncover how early humans lived? How do artists create interpretations of early humans and their environments? Meet archaeologist Briana Pobiner and artists from "The Croods: A New Age" as they answer these questions and take you behind-the-scenes into the process of discovery and creativity in their work. During this program, take a virtual tour of the Human Origins exhibit, learn about an activity you can do with your family, and get your questions answered by experts!

Tuesday, February 23, 2021, 6:00 p.m. ET

Historia Natural en Casa: La Astronomía Maya
This program will be presented in Spanish.
La exploración de la historia natural no solo tiene que suceder en el museo, ¡también puede ocurrir en tu hogar!

Junto a educadores y expertos, descubriremos cómo los Mayas descifraron el cielo nocturno y cómo sus descubrimientos impactaron su cultura y tradiciones ancestrales. ¡Acompáñanos!

Sunday, February 28, 2021, 2:00 p.m. ET

For Adults

Did Humans Cause Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinctions?
Did early modern humans hunt large, land-dwelling megafauna to extinction as they migrated to new continents, or is climate change to blame instead? Dr. Advait Jukar, a paleontologist and postdoctoral associate at Yale University, will share his knowledge of extinction on the Indian Subcontinent and answer your questions as you learn about his recently published research.

Thursday, February 18, 2021, 11:30 a.m. ET

New Way to Study Magnetic Fossils Could Help Unearth Their Origins

Under the ocean floor, there are iron bullets, needles, and spearheads. But they aren’t manmade. They come from ancient organisms that lived during at least two global warming events. Now, researchers have a new way to study these enigmatic, tiny specimens.

Generous supporters like you make it possible for the museum to expand our digital content and programming, especially now when educational resources are more important than ever. Make a gift today to help keep curious minds engaged and educated about the wonders of the natural world!