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National Museum of Natural History. Understanding the natural world and our place in it. Legal: s.si.edu/legal
Washington D.C.Joined March 2008
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Smithsonian NMNH
@NMNH
And now some star shine for Smithsonian research associate Chris Mah. Our resident echinoderm expert, Mah has described more than 84 species of sea stars! 🤯 If we know what inhabits the ocean, we are in a better position to conserve it. 🌊🌊🌊
ocean.si.edu
Chris Mah
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Smithsonian NMNH
@NMNH
Hello Cookie-cutter Star (Ctenodiscus crispatus). This echinoderm species lives in Arctic waters and feeds on nutrient-rich mud. Search for this specimen the next time you visit Ocean Hall
@nmnh
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Against a light blue background we see a yellow-off-white colored, star-shaped specimen that appears flat and has an outer border of bumps and smaller clusters of bumps on its surface in the center of the star is a small bump/projection surrounded by six larger bumps arranged in a circle around it.
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Smithsonian NMNH
@NMNH
.
@nmnh
has a selection of Chao's impactite collection from 12 different impact craters around the 🌍 as well as two nuclear blast craters at the Nevada Test Site. Although not true impactites, rocks collected at the test site have undergone similar shock metamorphism and melting.
An overhead shot of a 18 rock specimens, most housed in their own little white box and all the boxes align perfectly to make a square each specimen sits on top of a label and has a handwritten number attached to it, the rocks all look different in color and size, some have interior colors that are different from the rest of the rock, others have flecks of different materials trapped inside.
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Smithsonian NMNH
@NMNH
#OTD in 1909 Edward Chao (right), the father of impact metamorphism, was born. He spent the most of his career
@USGS
and his discovery of coesite and stishovite (high-pressure forms of silica) in nature advanced our understanding of the role of meteorites in 🌍's formation.
A black and white photo of two men posing for the camera with five football-to-baseball sized rocks on a table in front of them, they are dressed in work attire: long-sleeved white collared shirts, pens in the right pockets and ties
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Smithsonian NMNH
@NMNH
Most people are familiar with meteorites, but have you ever heard of impactites? They are terrestrial rocks that are physically altered by the intense heat and pressure created by the impact of a meteorite.
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Smithsonian NMNH
@NMNH
When approached by another male, the male frog-legged beetle will wave its hind legs in warning. If the opponent is undeterred, the two will engage in rear-to-rear combat. Once one pins down the other, the victor has "won," and the defeated beetle scampers away.
Against a white background we see a close-up image of an insect that has two antennae that are about a centimeter in length, four smaller legs in the front (two on each side), and two prominent legs in the back that are shaped roughly like the letter C, facing inward with the part that attaches to the body very thick and the tips of the legs containing what look like forked claws or hooks, the insect looks mostly black or dark green but is iridescent yellow-orange-green at its midline on its back.
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Smithsonian NMNH
@NMNH
Here's some iridescence for you this Tuesday. Found in Southeast Asia, frog-legged leaf beetles (Sagra buqueti) are a brilliant iridescent green. But don't let their name fool you, the hind legs are less for hopping and more a weapon for fighting other frog-legged beetles.
A shiny, green insect with blue undertones is photographed against a white background. The insect has three standard segments, the head is the smallest, then a more prominent middle part, and a relatively huge abdomen that is about a centimeter and a half long; the other prominent features are two centimeter-long bumpy antennae, four mid-sized front legs, and two bigger hind-legs, the hind legs are segmented, with the parts that attach to the body being much thicker than the others, almost in the shape of an oval.
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Smithsonian NMNH Retweeted
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
@SILibraries
You can actually see this rare book on display in
@NMNH
! Catesby's volume is part of our newest exhibition, #NatureOfTheBook: s.si.edu/3WS2KB3
A display case holds rare books. A panel next to it says "Nature of the Book" and displays descriptive text.
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Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
@SILibraries
18th century natural history illustration of sweet potato, vine and snake.
How do you like your sweet potatoes? Topped with marshmallows or . . . scarlet snake? Mark Catesby described the "Virginian potato" as an excellent root. Read "The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands" (1734-1747)in @BioDivLibrary: s.si.edu/37b2Hrd
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Smithsonian NMNH
@NMNH
Dune fans, this is not a teeny-tiny sandworm. This fierce predator and scavenger inhabits planet Earth. But you are very unlikely to run into it because it lives in deep marine waters around Antarctica.
A clear specimen jar contains a worm-shaped animal coiled up, revealing its head and the underside of its segmented body; the head has a circular opening that is surrounded by a fringe of little vertical pointy-but-soft-looking projections and then the head appears to be covered with them too the color of the worm is pale pink-peach you can see the part of the specimen label at the top of the jar it says USNM# 1009205 there's another label inside the jar that is not legible, the jar is clearly full of liquid because the worm appears to float.
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Smithsonian NMNH Retweeted
National Museum of the American Indian
@SmithsonianNMAI
We're sharing stories of American Indians that have shaped this country, from the arts to activism to military service. Follow along & then learn more that might surprise you with our exhibition "Americans": americanindian.si.edu/americans/ #NDNsEverywhere #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth
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Smithsonian
@smithsonian
Today with @SmithsonianNMAI, we are sharing the stories of Native American individuals you might not have known who shaped America. Learn from across the Smithsonian in this thread.⬇️ #NDNsEverywhere
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