Carnufex carolinensis, the Carolina Butcher

Crocodile Ancestor Was Top Predator Before Dinosaurs Roamed North America

June 29, 2015

A newly discovered crocodilian ancestor may have filled one of North America’s top predator roles before dinosaurs arrived on the continent. Carnufex carolinensis, or the “Carolina Butcher,” was a 9-foot long, land-dwelling crocodylomorph that walked on its hind legs and likely preyed upon smaller inhabitants of North Carolina ecosystems such as armored reptiles and early… Read More >


Boy learning to use a pipette in the Micro World Investigate Lab

The Biogen Foundation awards the NCMNS $584,700 grant to further cutting-edge science lab-based programming

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will continue to develop and implement public programs focusing on biotechnology and human health for students statewide thanks to a generous three-year grant from the Biogen Foundation (formerly Biogen Idec Foundation). The $584,700 grant is the largest that the Biogen Foundation has ever awarded to a… Read More >


Dig It! Special Exhibition

“Dig It! The Secrets of Soil,” explores the world beneath your feet, opens May 16

June 26, 2015

RALEIGH — How much do you know about the world beneath your feet? The soil we walk on is teeming with life — a quarter of all species on Earth, in fact. And the life and processes in soils are responsible for the vast majority of our food, fibers, construction material, clean water, medicine, and… Read More >


This tiger was caught on one of eMammal's camera traps in Mumbai, India.

Innovative camera trap project connects middle school kids from NC, Mexico and India

RALEIGH — Imagine seeing, for the first time, a jaguarundi from Guadalajara, or a dhole from Mumbai, all from the comfort of a middle school classroom. A select group of Wake County Public School students and teachers have enjoyed just such an opportunity recently as they continue to participate in eMammal International, a project that connects… Read More >


Time Warner Cable awards $15,000 to the Museum for after-school STEM programming

June 22, 2015

RALEIGH—The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has been awarded a Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds grant for $15,000 that will help to enhance the Museum’s after-school programming. The grant is given to non-profit organizations that inspire and educate within the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as part of Time… Read More >