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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

Cell & Microbiology
Universal RNA barcoding system for tracking gene transfer in bacteria created
Astronomy
Clearest images yet of 380,000-year-old universe reveal cosmic infancy
Biotechnology
Dogs' noses decoded: Optical sensor unveils canine brain's olfactory prowess
Condensed Matter
Researchers advance substrate engineering pathways to improve power electronics
Earth Sciences
Unveiling the mysterious 'red sprite' lightning strikes over the Himalayas
Biochemistry
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria more vulnerable under body-like fluid flow conditions, study finds
Biochemistry
Computational simulator targets intervertebral disk biochemistry to find most common cause of back pain
Astronomy
Astronomers investigate X-shaped radio galaxy 3C 315
Plants & Animals
Red coral colonies survive a decade after being transplanted in the Medes Islands
Environment
How to stop being surprised by extreme weather: Moving beyond the limitations of conventional weather records
Archaeology
Epi and Tongoa: How two cultures diverged after an island-splitting volcanic eruption
Evolution
Scientists uncover principles underlying the toxicity of 'selfish' genes
Molecular & Computational biology
Mapping maternal lineages of fine aroma cocoa through chloroplast DNA
Earth Sciences
Tracing the geological history of spring rains: Why they diminish in North America and emerge in East Asia
Molecular & Computational biology
Wheat wild relative genome research unlocks potential for crop improvement
Astronomy
Hidden cosmic fuel tank found in infant galaxy cluster
Optics & Photonics
First helically dichroic hollow-core fiber demonstrated: New waveguide promises optical advances
Cell & Microbiology
Add some spice: Curcumin helps treat Mycobacterium abscessus
General Physics
What's behind the 'pop and slosh' when opening a swing-top bottle of beer?
Evolution
Genetic study reveals hidden chapter in human evolution

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 ...