NEWS

Caterpillar biodiversity is one of the most important aspects of a healthy ecosystem. As plant consumers, caterpillars unlock nutrients locked up in leaves and convert it to usable energy that millions of animals, from birds to wasps, depend on. Of course, that means besides eating leaves, the other thing a caterpillar tries to do is… Read More >

An international team of geologists and paleontologists is pioneering a groundbreaking methodology to reliably determine the age of fossil-bearing rocks — by directly dating fossilized dinosaur eggshells. The study — co-authored by Ryan Tucker from Stellenbosch University, Lindsay Zanno from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University, and colleagues —… Read More >

What if everything we know about T. rex growth is wrong? A complete tyrannosaur skeleton has just ended one of paleontology’s longest-running debates – whether Nanotyrannus is a distinct species, or just a teenage version of Tyrannosaurus rex. The fossil, part of the legendary “Dueling Dinosaurs” specimen unearthed in Montana, contains two dinosaurs locked in… Read More >

Each winter, sea turtles off North Carolina’s coast face a life-threatening event: cold-stunning. This short film follows Museum Chief Veterinarian Dr. Dan Dombrowski and other experts from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission as they work together to rescue, rehabilitate and release sea turtles back into the ocean. [ VIDEO ]

Plants producing sandburs (or sandspurs) belong to a group of annual native weeds that are commonly found growing in patchy lawns or sandy areas. The seed heads or “burs” of these plants are covered in needle-sharp spines that can be extremely painful when stepped on. The purpose of the burs is not to inflict pain… Read More >