A worker (left) and male of the trapjaw ant species Odontomachus ruginodis. Photo credit: Adrian Smith.

Mixed signals: study finds insect species use very different chemicals to identify queens

February 4, 2016

It had been thought that all ants, wasps and other eusocial insects used a common class of chemical compounds to distinguish queens from workers and other members of their colonies or hives. But new research finds that there is significant variation in these chemical signals, even between closely related species. The work was done by… Read More >


"Snail on a post" by Timothy Faulkner, Kinston.

Museum displays winning images from Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition

February 3, 2016

RALEIGH — For someone who has only been practicing serious photography for about eight years, Frank Ellison has done pretty well for himself. Ellison, 53, took first place in the Invertebrate category in the 2014 Photo Competition and now earned the top prize in the 2015 Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition. His photo and… Read More >


Checking out the hominid fossils at Darwin Day.

Museum of Natural Sciences celebrates Darwin Day, February 13

RALEIGH — Learn about famed naturalist Charles Darwin, take a closer look at his theories and their impact on modern science, and meet some of the scientists who are continuing his work when the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences hosts Darwin Day on Saturday, February 13, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Free; donations welcome…. Read More >


Cultured bacteria from one of the samples in the study. Photo credit: Dawn Stancil, North Carolina Central University.

Antiperspirant alters the microbial ecosystem on your skin

February 2, 2016

Additional Contacts: Rob Dunn  |  919.513.7569 Matt Shipman | 919.515.6386 Wearing antiperspirant or deodorant doesn’t just affect your social life, it substantially changes the microbial life that lives on you. New research finds that antiperspirant and deodorant can significantly influence both the type and quantity of bacterial life found in the human armpit’s “microbiome.” The work was… Read More >


The Ape, 1940, still image of the Ape.

Museum’s First Friday movie asks: Is Boris Karloff a jungle beast or man of science?

February 1, 2016

RALEIGH — A man-killer at large! A countryside in terror! Only one man knows the next victim. But it’s a man gone mad! Join us for a spine-chilling, nerve-shattering horror-drama when the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences shows “The Ape” on First Friday, February 5, 7 p.m. “The Ape” (1940) stars the big screen’s… Read More >