The true identity of the protein found in the crystals reported by Bondoc et al. [(2019), Acta Cryst. F75, 646–651] is given.

A new Smithsonian study that examines 10 million years of the evolution of tiny coral-like organisms called cupuladriid bryzoans has revealed that some species of this organism lingered on earth for more than one million years after the event that ultimately caused their extinction: the rising of the Isthmus of Panama.

The post Fossils of tiny cupuladriid colonies reveal extinction can lag more than one million years after its cause appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The giant squid was collected during a 60-day scientific study in which NOAA scientists were studying the availability and diversity of sperm whale prey. The squid was caught in a trawl net pulled behind a research vessel at a depth of more than 1,500 feet.

The post Smithsonian receives giant squid caught in the Gulf of Mexico appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A new census of tropical sulfur butterflies (Aphrissa statira) migrating across the Panama Canal has revealed the central role that weather plays in determining why populations of these lemon-yellow insects vary from year to year.

The post A dry spring in Panama means more sulfur butterflies, study reveals appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The National Zoo has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish a captive population of the Virginia big-eared bat at the National Zoo’s Conservation & Research Center near Front Royal, Va. Only 15,000 Virginia big-eared bats remain living in caves in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina, and these are threatened by the white-nose syndrome.

The post In face of crisis, National Zoo to start captive population of Virginia big-eared bats appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The new study suggests that echolocation calls also serve a social function--bats listen to the ultrasonic calls of other bats to identify roost mates, bats of the same species, members of the opposite sex and intruders to their territory.

The post Scientists find ultrasonic calls of bats also serve a social function appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The anemones—both of which are commonly called Tealia red anemones under the species of Urticina—spawned in late April and early May, just days apart. Henley collected the eggs and sperm from the more than 2,000-gallon tank and put them together in smaller tanks to increase the chances of fertilization. After fertilization, the larvae settled and metamorphosed into a polyp.

The post National Zoo scientists successfully grow two species of anemones in aquarium tanks appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope recently spotted a surprisingly large amount of dust around three mature, close-orbiting star pairs. Where did the dust come from? Astronomers say it might be the aftermath of tremendous planetary collisions.

The post Pulverized planet dust might lie around double stars appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The tiger reserves of Asia could support more than 10,000 wild tigers – three times the current number – if they are managed as large-scale […]

The post Tiger numbers could triple if large-scale landscapes are protected appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Water is a critical molecule for human life, and, because it is abundant in space, it also plays an important role in the life of […]

The post Astronomers appraise the amount of water in the Orion Nebula appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Funded by BP through the Florida Institute of Oceanography, the scientists will make the 10-day trip aboard the institute’s 115-foot research vessel. The divers, scientists and photographers will document hard bottoms of Florida, from the Keys to the Panhandle, to gain a better understanding of these sponge- and coral-dominated communities

The post Gulf of Mexico survey will benchmark diversity of ocean floor appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

In an event that has astronomers mystified; the famous Crab Nebula supernova remnant has erupted in an enormous flare five times more powerful than any flare previously seen from the object.

The post Recent eruptions in the Crab Nebula mystify astronomers appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A study published in the journal Global Change Biology finds that while fertilizer has been the dominant source of nitrogen pollution in Caribbean coastal ecosystems for the past 50 years, such pollution is on the decline, thanks in part to the introduction of more advanced, environmentally responsible agricultural practices during the last decade.

The post National Museum of Natural History’s coral collection used in Caribbean agricultural and sewage pollution study appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The most widely used methods for calculating species extinction rates are "fundamentally flawed" and overestimate extinction rates by as much as 160 percent, life scientists report May 19 in the journal Nature.

The post Methods for calculating species extinction rates overestimate extinction, says Smithsonian scientist appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

By compiling and comparing long-term data from stranding records and visual sighting records, both taken from nearly every ocean basin in the world, Pyenson verified that stranding records “faithfully reflect the number of species and the relative abundance” found in live surveys.

The post Stranding records are faithful reflection of live whale and dolphin populations, new study reveals appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

NASA's Kepler spacecraft is proving itself to be a prolific planet hunter. Within just the first four months of data, astronomers have found evidence for more than 1,200 planetary candidates. Of those, 408 reside in systems containing two or more planets, and most of those look very different than our solar system.

The post The Kepler spacecraft’s astounding haul of multiple-planet systems appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A local supernova factory has recently started production, according to a wealth of new data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory on the Carina Nebula.

The post The Carina Nebula, a local supernova factory, is ramping up production appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A scientist from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute uses a pick to dislodge the fossil skull of an extinct toothed whale from sediments on the […]

The post Fossil skull of an extinct toothed whale excavated from Panamanian sediments appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Researchers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute have discovered why older females are rarely able to reproduce—and hope to use this information to introduce vital […]

The post New finding may enable scientists to bolster genetic diversity of captive cheetah population appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Kandula, an 8-year-old male Asian elephant at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, recently demonstrated to researchers for the first time that elephants are capable of insightful problem solving.

The post A first: National Zoo elephant shows insightful problem solving appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The same object that dazzled skygazers in 1054 C.E. continues to dazzle astronomers today by pumping out radiation at higher energies than anyone expected.

The post Crab pulsar dazzles astronomers with its gamma-ray beams appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Halocoryza acapulcana Whitehead (Acapulco Saline Catarrh Beetle), described in 1966 by Donald R. Whitehead. This image is from a recent paper by Terry L. Erwin, […]

The post Halocoryza acapulcana Whitehead appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

In a new paper, Avi Loeb, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and Edwin Turner, Princeton University, suggest a new technique for finding aliens: look for their city lights.

The post City lights could reveal E.T. civilization appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

It took the revealing power of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to uncover not one, but four remarkably red galaxies.

The post Strange new “species” of ultra-red galaxy discovered appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

To celebrate its 22nd anniversary in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope has released a dramatic new image of the star-forming region 30 Doradus, also known […]

The post New image of the star-forming region 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

This image shows a 3-D scan of the type specimen of Odobenocetops, the walrus whale, in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. The skull […]

The post Walrus whale 3-D skull scan appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A July 12 news alert from NASA indicates a X1.4 class solar flare erupted from the center of the Sun, peaking July 12 at 12:52 P.M.

The post Coronal mass ejection from July 12 solar flare headed toward Earth; minor geomagnetic storm activity predicted appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A bubbling cauldron of star birth is highlighted in this new image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope of the Cygnus-X star-forming region some 4,600 light-years […]

The post A bubbling cauldron of star birth appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute are recommending that Panama adopt revised traffic patterns and slower speeds for vessels crossing the Gulf of Panama to reduce the risk of collisions between ships and whales.

The post Ships need to slow down for whales in Gulf of Panama, scientists advise appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

One of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way almost got away with theft....

The post Galactic thief: “I would have gotten away with it but for those meddling astronomers!” appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Frontispiece illustration of “flies” from the 1882 book American game fishes, their habits, habitat, and peculiarities; how, when, and where to angle for them, featuring […]

The post Illustration from American game fishes, their habits, habitat, and peculiarities appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

NASA's next Small Explorer (SMEX) mission to study the little-understood lower levels of the sun's atmosphere has been fully integrated and final testing is underway.

The post NASA’s IRIS spacecraft scheduled to launch in April appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Chris Crowe, keeper of the National Zoo’s 15 white-naped cranes, is well acquainted with the strong attachments these graceful Asian birds form with their mates.

The post With no credit to Cupid, white-naped crane couples remain faithful for life appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Small migratory male birds that winter in a stressful environment age faster than those that winter in a high-quality habitat, according to research stemming from […]

The post Small migratory birds age faster in stressful places, study reveals appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Spiral galaxies are some of the most beautiful and photogenic residents of the universe. Our own Milky Way is a spiral. Our solar system and […]

The post Powerful computer simulations show how spiral galaxies get their arms appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Most skygazers recognize the Orion Nebula, one of the closest stellar nurseries to Earth. Although it makes for great views in backyard telescopes, the Orion […]

The post Cat’s Paw Nebula “littered” w/ baby stars appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The National Museum of Natural History announced this summer that it has reached a 50-year loan agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to […]

The post T. rex to rule Dinosaur Hall in Washington, D.C. appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

As economic expansion and development fragments the forest landscape of central India, the species that rely on that habitat—including endangered tigers and leopards—face dwindling populations […]

The post Forest corridors essential to gene flow in India’s leopard and tiger populations appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Sometime during the Middle Eocene a prehistoric mosquito slurped down a final blood meal then died and sank to the bottom of a pond in […]

The post Blood molecules preserved for millions of years in abdomen of fossil mosquito appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

  This image is a close-up of the skull of the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known as the Wankel T. rex which was installed in front […]

The post T-rex to rule Dinosaur Hall appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

It is one of the most sensitive noses in the animal kingdom but what its owner seeks is no pungent bed of roses, in fact […]

The post Study shows turkey vulture is doubly blessed with acute vision and sense of smell appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Scientists from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History have just named and described the Spectacular Guyane False-form beetle, or Guyanemorpha spectabilis, from Guyane (French Guiana). […]

The post Remarkably large and colorful new beetle discovered in French Guiana appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Parents normally feel the need to provide well for their kids. For humans, that number of offspring is usually in the single digits, but a […]

The post The secret formula to feeding 900 babies: Scientists uncover milk composition of naked mole-rat queens appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The black-headed paradise-flycatcher of western and central Africa is a small colorful forest bird that thrives on the flying insects it chases down by swooping, […]

The post These mites should make birds quiver right down to their quills appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The world of astronomy has changed. An astronomer used to have to travel to a remote location and endure long, cold nights, patiently guiding a […]

The post Mining astronomical archives yields haul of “red nugget” galaxies appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The practice of selectively fishing male blue crabs in the Chesapeake—intended to give females a chance to reproduce—may have a hidden cost. A Bay without […]

The post With too few males, blue crab population may be put at risk appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Over the vast, empty reaches of interstellar space, countless small molecules tumble quietly though the cold vacuum. Forged in the fusion furnaces of ancient stars […]

The post Mysterious molecules in space appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

In theory, crabs of the species Planes major should stay true to their mates for life. Heterosexual pairs of these small crustaceans live on loggerhead […]

The post Faithful crabs engage in risky behavior when opportunity arises appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Their flavor is a unique blend of lobster and shrimp say lovers of the savory South American crustaceans called “langostinos.” Simmered with garlic, lime juice, […]

The post Squat lobsters: colorful kings of the ocean floor appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.