Science News

While it may look like drawers of dead plants and animals, our collection is very much alive with information critical to the future of our region, and indeed, human survival on the planet. When museums coordinate efforts, share information, and make their specimens more accessible, our global collection becomes ever more relevant to the future of humanity and biodiversity. Read more.


Los enfoques de investigación y conservación geográficamente limitados nos dan una perspectiva incompleta que nos lleva a una solución incompleta. Si bien existen desafíos para la colaboración transfronteriza, también sabemos que funciona. La Dra. Mariana Delgado Fernández y su colega en San Diego, La Dra. Michelle Thompson, explican por qué un enfoque holístico es crucial para el futuro de nuestra región. Read more.


Research and conservation approaches that are geographically limited give us an incomplete picture that will lead us to an incomplete solution. While there are challenges to cross-border collaboration, we also know that it works. The Nat's Dr. Michelle Thompson and her colleague in Mexico, Dr. Mariana Delgado Fernández, explain why a holistic approach is crucial to the future of our region.  Read more.


Kate Stephens was not only the Museum's first paid employee, but she also retired with more years of service to the museum than any of her peers. Her legacy lingers on in our collections, archives, and ethics today. Read more.


Apprentices in the Research Library are digitizing a hidden collection of glass plates that’s almost a century old. This project will convert a relatively unknown collection of historic photographs into a valuable historic resource that’s accessible to people worldwide.  Read more.


Birding in San Diego is like a party that lasts all year. But winter is when San Diegans celebrate our feathered friends with festivals, holidays, and opportunities to contribute to bird-centric science. Here are four ways to love and learn more about our region’s beautiful birds. (No birding experience necessary!)  Read more.


An arctic sea duck bone turned up in a Kumeyaay midden during an archaeology dig, 10 miles from San Diego's coastline. Let the head scratching begin. Read more.


Paleontologists describe new species of sabre-tooth false-cat, showing early evolution of carnivores during time of global climatic instability.  Read more.


Braving electrical storms, wildfires, and heavy snow, two Mexican biologists have traded cell service and city life for the noble task of recovering North America's largest birds from near extinction. President and CEO Judy Gradwohl joined them—and the condors—among the peaks last year. Read about her experience here.  Read more.


Three Ways to See Wildlife After Dark

Posted: September 29, 2022

Spotting animals in the wild is hard, but researchers from The Nat have a few easy tricks up their sleeves. Here are three things you can do to spot wildlife when it's most active—at night.   Read more.