Florida Museum of Natural History

Last chance! ?? South Florida People & Environments It's not good-bye but it is 'see ya later'! Explore South Florida from the mighty Calusa kingdom to the Seminole and Miccosukee of today. Take a farewell "swim" through the underwater estuary habitat and wave at the eerie toadfish as you go. March 23 ?? Last day we're open before we close for our big expansion project. Our permanent exhibits will be deep-cleaned and refreshed during the closure but will otherwise be unaffected by the expansion. More info: https://lnkd.in/etZA3tpK =FREE Exhibit= South Florida People & Environments Journey through a South Florida estuary and learn why they are one of the richest ecosystems on Earth and how they have supported people for thousands of years, including the powerful Calusa who once controlled all of South Florida. Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU

Last chance! ?? Water Shapes Florida It's not good-bye but it is 'see ya later'! Take a last meander through the hammock forest and descend into the cool darkness of the limestone cave then board the Oscar Collins boat with Captain Bill for a farewell "ride". March 23 ?? Last day we're open before we close for our big expansion project. Our permanent exhibits will be deep-cleaned and refreshed during the closure but will otherwise be unaffected by the expansion. More info: https://lnkd.in/etZA3tpK =FREE Exhibit= Water Shapes Florida Take a ride on a glass-bottom boat, walk through a hammock forest, explore the aquifer and more as you learn about our state’s most important natural resource in this interactive experience. Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU

Thorny skates have a large distribution, but there's been a mystery about why individuals of this species along the coast of North America come in two distinct sizes, irrespective of sex. Snack and party size. People have known about the size discrepancy in thorny skates for nearly a century, but it became critically important beginning in the 1970s, when their numbers took a nosedive. “No one could understand what the deal was with these skates,” said study co-author Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research here at the Florida Museum. He was sure they could solve the mystery though. The pandemic forced the research team to regroup and adjust their approach but they sequence the entire genome of four or five individuals and found something interesting. The two sizes were the result of gene inversion, a natural process in which a sequence of DNA is flipped in the wrong direction. It's just the first step in developing a conservation plan. “We’re trying to use the best available science to make decisions about how to best manage and sustain populations,” said Jeff Kneebone. Story: https://lnkd.in/gfZZGdt9 Study: https://lnkd.in/ezFHXhpQ Authors: Pierre Lesturgie, John Denton, Lei Yang, Shannon Corrigan, Jeff Kneebone, Romuald Laso-Jadart, Arve Lynghammar, Olivier Fedrigo, Stefano Mona & Gavin Naylor

Last chance! ??? Discovery Zone It's not good-bye but it is 'see ya later'! Bring your little explorers in to play on the boat one last time this week. Check out the fossils, the insects and shells, and wave a little farewell to the zebra longwing butterflies overhead! March 23 ?? Last day we're open before we close for our big expansion project. Our permanent exhibits will be deep-cleaned and refreshed during the closure but will otherwise be unaffected by the expansion. More info: https://lnkd.in/etZA3tpK =FREE Exhibit= Discovery Zone Our popular kid-size exhibit includes educational materials as diverse as the natural world, allowing children and their caregivers to engage in science-oriented interactives and experience display cases with stunning collections, true-to-scale touchable objects and various activity stations Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU

Ancient DNA shows an endangered dove species endemic to Cuba is more genetically distinct than the dodo was before it died out. For decades, this unassuming bird has perplexed biologists, who have no idea where it came from, how it got to the island or what it’s related to. Now that scientists have sequenced DNA from the blue-headed quail dove, they’re even more perplexed than when they started. “This species has been an ornithological enigma for a very long time,” said Jessica Oswald. The bird is rare and the few specimens that exist in North American museums were collected several decades ago, making it difficult to extract DNA from them with the typical methods used for fresh tissue. Jessica tried her newly devised technique for sequencing ancient DNA on a toe pad clipped from a blue-headed quail dove specimen collected in 1958 and curated at the Florida Museum. “It’s another instance of the importance of museums and the long-term maintenance of specimens," said study co-author David Steadman. "As ancient DNA techniques have improved, we find that fossils, historical and modern specimens are even more useful than before.” Story: https://lnkd.in/eNpDxPRP Study: https://lnkd.in/e3vdy7u4 Authors: Jessica Oswald, Bret Boyd, Avery Szewczak, Michelle LeFebvre, Brian Stucky, Robert Guralnick, Kevin Johnson, Julie Allen and David Steadman

Last chance! ?? Florida Fossils It's not good-bye but it is 'see ya later'! From ancient sharks to giant sloths, spend some time with the fossils of early Florida. Wave a little farewell to the crocs and cats and horses and more! March 23 ?? Last day we're open before we close for our big expansion project. Our permanent exhibits will be deep-cleaned and refreshed during the closure but will otherwise be unaffected by the expansion. More info: https://lnkd.in/etZA3tpK =FREE Exhibit= Florida Fossils: Evolution of Life and Land Our fossil exhibit encapsulates the last 65 million years of Earth’s history, using the Florida Platform as the stage on which this fascinating story is told. Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU

Last chance! ?? Butterfly Rainforest It's not good-bye but it is 'see ya later'! Take a last stroll through our lush rainforest and watch the butterflies dance around you in the sunlight. Say a little farewell to the birds, turtles and fish, too! March 23 ?? Last day we're open before we close for our big expansion project. People have been asking: What will happen to the butterflies? As a living exhibit, the Butterfly Rainforest will continue to be maintained by staff during the closure. Shipments of new butterflies will be paused and all animals and plants will be cared for throughout the duration of the construction project. More info about our expansion project: https://lnkd.in/etZA3tpK Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU

Mark your calendar! ?? April 11 Spring Plant Sale: ONE DAY ONLY! Our spring plant sale features more than 100 species of Florida- and pollinator-friendly plants. ?? The Florida Museum’s exhibits building will be temporarily closed for the large-scale expansion project but we're still holding this fabulous plant sale! Discover which pollinator species you can attract and learn about the butterfly-friendly plants that work best in your landscape. Accent, host, native and nectar plants are available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit. ?? Event details: https://lnkd.in/d3RKMqg4 ?? Location: UF Cultural Plaza near the Museum ?? When: April 11 [Friday] 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ?? Anticipated plant list is being added to as we get closer to the event: https://lnkd.in/eEYy_uTy NOTE March 23 ?? Last day we're open before we close for our big expansion project. More info: https://lnkd.in/etZA3tpK

For more than 140 years, Mixodectes pungens, a species of small mammal that inhabited western North America in the early Paleocene, was a mystery. What little was known about them had been mostly gleaned from analyzing fossilized teeth and jawbone fragments. But a new study of the most complete skeleton of the species known to exist has answered many questions about the enigmatic critter — first described in 1883 by famed paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope — providing a better understanding of its anatomy, behavior, diet, and position in the Tree of Life. The skeleton includes a partial skull with teeth, spinal column, rib cage, forelimbs and hind limbs. Researchers determined that the skeleton belonged to a mature adult that weighed about 1.3 kilograms, or 2.9 pounds. Story: https://lnkd.in/eCiZPHnX Study: https://lnkd.in/gRXDxexa Authors: Stephen G. B. Chester, Thomas E. Williamson, Jordan W. Crowell, Mary T. Silcox, Jonathan I. Bloch & Eric J. Sargis Illustration by Andrey Atuchin

Exhibit Spotlight ?? Look up! Not everyone notices the boat in the ceiling. While you're learning about the history of fishing and the Calusa of South Florida, check out the neat display overhead. People have lived in the rich Gulf Coast area of Florida for more than 6,000 years. Of all of the native people along the Gulf, the Calusa were the most powerful. They were fishers and traveled by canoes great distances. While the Calusa are gone, many of their ancient fishing traditions continue along our Gulf Coast. =FREE Exhibit= South Florida People & Environments Journey through a South Florida estuary and learn why they are one of the richest ecosystems on Earth and how they have supported people for thousands of years, including the powerful Calusa who once controlled all of South Florida. Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ?? Exhibits, hours, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU