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Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long-gone civilizations that few people ever see—museum collections are filled with all this and more.

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Paleontology & Fossils
A 62-million-year-old skeleton sheds light on an enigmatic mammal
Paleontology & Fossils
Fossil evidence found of humans domesticating avocados 7,500 years ago
Paleontology & Fossils
A longer, sleeker super predator: Study paints more accurate picture of megalodon's true form
Plants & Animals
Megalodon's body size and form uncover why certain aquatic vertebrates can achieve gigantism
Ecology
Tooth size in South American sea lions reflects historical shifts in population abundance
Plants & Animals
Plants struggled for millions of years after the world's worst climate catastrophe, scientists reveal
Evolution
New fossil discovery of an early human relative reveals that it walked upright, just like humans
Ecology
Ancient DNA reveals 6,000 years of the lives of Antarctic penguins
Ecology
Ancient amphibians bounced back from Earth's greatest mass extinction by exploiting freshwater prey, study suggests
Evolution
Fossil study reveals oldest larval eyes with high-resolution vision
Paleontology & Fossils
Eocene mudflat fossils reveal ancient waterbird foraging behaviors and four new species
Paleontology & Fossils
When did our ancestors start to eat meat regularly? Fossilized teeth get us closer to the answer
Paleontology & Fossils
Digitization as the key to processing colonial natural history collections
Evolution
When birds lose the ability to fly, their bodies change faster than their feathers, scientists discover
Paleontology & Fossils
Utah dig site reveals increased diversity of fossilized eggshells
Evolution
Earliest evidence for humans in rainforests discovered
Paleontology & Fossils
How paleontologists are uncovering dinosaur behavior
Evolution
Humans have the earliest jawed fish to thank for their flexible joints, study suggests
Evolution
Discovery reveals giant flying squirrel once soared over Southern Appalachia
Evolution
Volcanic forces may have fueled early marine life, study suggests

Other news

Astronomy
Wolf-Rayet 104 'pinwheel' star reveals a surprise (and some relief)
Environment
Time is not the driving influence of forest carbon storage, study finds
Plants & Animals
Thorny skates come in 'snack' and 'party' sizes: After a century of guessing, scientists now know why
Plants & Animals
Scientists map neural wiring of vocal circuits in songbirds
Cell & Microbiology
Scientists discover protein key to bacteria's survival in extreme environments
Analytical Chemistry
'Democratizing chemical analysis': Using machine learning and robotics to identify chemical compositions from images
Earth Sciences
Flexible, adaptable approaches to protect against rising seas are the most cost-effective, modeling study finds
Planetary Sciences
A geologic map of the asteroid belt: Tracing meteorites back to their origins
Bio & Medicine
Electrons travel one of two routes in nano-biohybrid systems
Plants & Animals
Stingrays reveal nature's elegant solution to maintaining geometric armor growth
Earth Sciences
Unveiling the mysterious 'red sprite' lightning strikes over the Himalayas
Plants & Animals
A social immune system: Leafcutter ants recognize and combat pathogens 30 days post-exposure
Biochemistry
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria more vulnerable under body-like fluid flow conditions, study finds
Plants & Animals
Conservation efforts are bringing species back from the brink, even as overall biodiversity falls
Biotechnology
Dogs' noses decoded: Optical sensor unveils canine brain's olfactory prowess
Condensed Matter
Researchers advance substrate engineering pathways to improve power electronics
Astronomy
Clearest images yet of 380,000-year-old universe reveal cosmic infancy
Cell & Microbiology
Universal RNA barcoding system for tracking gene transfer in bacteria created
Archaeology
Investigating the psychedelic blue lotus of Egypt, where ancient magic meets modern science
Astronomy
Astronomers investigate X-shaped radio galaxy 3C 315

Archaic dolphin could hear high frequency sounds

A team of researchers led by SNSB paleontologist Gertrud Rößner has discovered a new prehistoric dolphin species. Analyses of its inner ear confirm that this dolphin had excellent hearing abilities in the high-frequency ...

Tracing the journey from Egyptian cat mummies to modern house pets

EU researchers are testing DNA from archaeological cat remains to help unravel the tale of cat domestication. It probably will not surprise cat owners, familiar with the enigmatic and independent nature of their beloved pets, ...

A remarkable fossil assemblage gets a new interpretation

A team of paleontologists recently discovered that an ancient seascape known for its diverse assemblage of exceptionally preserved fossils represents an unexpected oceanic setting, placing the fossils in an environmental ...