Florida Museum of Natural History

a person is standing in a storage facility of some kind with shelves of large jars behind him and he is holding a large jar and leaning a shoulder on a doorframe

a hand is holding a small frog while other hands are holding flashlights and pointing in a dusky dark light

a large, bumpy green and brown frog is at rest on a spray of long green leaves

Frogs + Dave + beer is back! 🐸

March 24 🍺 Science on Tap: Ribbit & Sip It
Leap into the fascinating world of frogs with herpetologist Dave Blackburn at a ribbeting Science on Tap with UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute at Cypress & Grove Brewing. Event: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/event/scienc...

👏👏👏 @charlottewright.bsky.social, @vmshirey.bsky.social , @dr-akito.bsky.social, @sangerinstitute.bsky.social, @umontpellier.bsky.social, @york.ac.uk, @harvard.edu, @lund-university.bsky.social

two triangular brown butterflies are hanging upside down next to each other under a curved branch

Scientists published a broad review of what they’ve learned about moths and butterflies over the last few decades, with special attention to pivotal moments during the ~300 million-year history of the group.
Story:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/scie...

Review article:
doi.org/10.1038/s443...

a group of people are standing in a circle around a work table in a storage office surrounded by metal cabinets with a person in the middle talking and holding a tray of large black shark teeth

How many fossils does it take to accurately train an image-based AI algorithm? According to a new study, the answer is much smaller than previously thought, with big implications for the field of paleontology.

Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/vert...

Study: doi.org/10.1017/pab....

a doorway with a sign that says Virtual Camp In Session looks into a dark room where a person is sitting at a desk under bright lights as if this is a studio and they are in an online video meeting

The pandemic had an immediate effect on how educators at museums interacted with their audiences. In a new study, researchers assess the state of online museum programming find out what worked and what didn’t.

Story:
floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/36-m...

Study:
doi.org/10.1108/QRDE...

Florida Icon: Kathleen Deagan University of Florida distinguished professor emeritus of archaeology; St. Augustine; age 77

Scientist Spotted 🗺️ Kathy Deagan, @ufl.edu distinguished professor emeritus of archaeology, spoke to @floridatrend.bsky.social about her life, career and dedication to excavating Florida's history, from Ice Age hunters to Florida cowboys:
www.floridatrend.com/florida-icon...

a person in a wet and dirty fishing work t-shirt and a hat and sunglasses is standing in calm ocean water under a soft blue sky is talking and making downward gestures with his hands

a graphic titled Shark Bites 2025 with a pie charts showing the top 7 states by shark bites and tips to reduce risks, as well as several stats all presented in detail on the report story in link. The top states in order are Florida, California, Hawaii, South Carolina, New York, North Carolina and Texas. Notes are the 11 percent drop in bites over 2024, and that there are 548 known shark species but only 13 known to have bitten people 10 or more times ever

a bar chart covering thirty years from 1996 through 2025 with the very lower part of each bar in orange showing fatalities and the rest of each bar in yellow showing bites, highlighting 20 year global average of 71 bites and 6 fatalities, and a chart that shows2025 higher than 2024 but lower than 2023, all information available in detail on the report story in link

“These global patterns change only slightly from one year to the other. But the regional incidents do oscillate a lot, and these local trends are interesting,” said Gavin Naylor.

#ICYMI Our annual shark bite report for 2025 is now online 📉 Story and data: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/glob...

there is a very clean fossil of a turtle shell next to a clean fossil skull of a crocodile that is equal in length sitting on a clean white background

Online Exhibit 🐊🐢 Rare, Beautiful & Fascinating

Feature: Albury’s Tortoise and Cuban Crocodile

These fossils were discovered by scuba diver Brian Kakuk about 60-70 feet deep in a blue hole in the Bahamas.

🎧 Story and more with David Steadman: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/100-years/ob...

two people are crouching in a meadow near a small net tent while a group of people stand behind them watching

in the foreground is a set of very large curved horn fossils on a work table and in the background an adult is talking to a group of kids and pointing at the horns

a group of people are standing in a semicircle to listen to a person in the middle talking and gesturing outdoors

a person is using a sieve tray suspended in a tall tripod in a forest to sift sand that is piling on the ground below

Gator Nation Giving Day 🔶🔷 Stand Up & Holler! 🐊
Support Florida Museum scientists' and @ufl.edu students' ongoing research and education with seminars, networking, workshops and community building events.
👉 Full info & all fund options: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/support/insp...
#AllForTheGators

illustration of world map showing pinpoints for shark attacks clustered heavily around the Australian and United States coasts with the label Shark Bites 2025, all of which are detailed in reports and charts through the linked article

a graphic titled Shark Bites 2025 with a pie charts showing the top 7 states by shark bites and tips to reduce risks, as well as several stats all presented in detail on the report story in link. The top states in order are Florida, California, Hawaii, South Carolina, New York, North Carolina and Texas. Notes are the 100 percent drop in bites over 2024, and that there are 548 known shark species but only 13 known to have bitten people 10 or more times ever

a bar chart covering thirty years from 1996 through 2025 with the very lower part of each bar in orange showing fatalities and the rest of each bar in yellow showing bites, highlighting 20 year global average of 71 bites and 6 fatalities, and a chart that shows2025 higher than 2024 but lower than 2023, all information available in detail on the report story in link

Our annual shark bite report for 2025 is now available online. The global shark bite numbers return to average last year, with a smaller proportion in the United States.

📉 Full story and data: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/glob...

Summary report: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attack...

a tiny brown butterfly is at rest on clusters of narrow green leaves

there is a large brown tank in a field with some kind of black track in front of it and a ring of trees at the edge of the field

there are a half dozen people scattered in the distance across an open meadow with thick trees in the back

From the field ✈️ Kristin Rossetti traveled with the Daniels Lab in search of the frosted elfin butterfly — which included the bombing range of a military base:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🐛 Travel funding supports activities and special needs of researchers here at the Florida Museum.

a large room has an elaborate arched ceiling painted and decorated with murals that looks like a restored European public building and the floor is filled with chairs and seated people looking at a small projection screen at the front

a group of people are gathered in the darkness around a sheet that is held up at nearly shoulder height like a wall with bright lights illuminating it

From the field ✈️ David Cheng attended the 24th European Congress of Lepidopterology where he presented research on bagworm moths and networked with peers.
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🐛 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

an illustration of two small rodents cuddling in a tunnel with the pun text below You're my volemate!

"You're my VOLEmate!" 🤗 Natural History #ValentinesDay Cards

Unlike most other rodents, prairie voles form a lifelong partnership with a single individual. They’re pathologically fond of snuggling, which helps strengthen the bond between mates.

More:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/natu...

an illustration of a melon in the foreground and a mammoth in the distance with the pun text below Hey there gourdeous!

Hey there, GOURDeous! 🍈🦣 Natural History #ValentinesDay eCards

Many species in the gourd family evolved alongside megafauna like mammoths and gomphotheres. But with the megafauna extinct, the plants produce fruit for animals that no longer exist.

More:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/natu...

a wide view of a steep mountain valley that is shrouded in mist with a deeply cut dirt road running along the crest of a distant hill between shrubbery and few trees

a booted foot is standing on the surface of pale rock that is worn into sharp folds and spikes with small plants growing out of deep crevasses

a robust growth of a low, leafy plant is spilling down over a knobby rock with red stems and fuzzy looking leaves leaning towards bright sunlight

The Massif de la Hotte is an exceptionally biodiverse mountain range in southern Haiti that is home to an unusually large number of unique species.

Scientists used a group of plants to trace ancient bird flight paths over the Caribbean Sea. Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/scie...

a person is sitting on a ledge that could be a short walking bridge along a nearly vertical cliff covered in ferns and leaves

a person is standing at a lectern in a conference room next to a large screen showing a big moth with elongated tails on its pale yellow wings at rest on a plant with lots of supporting text on the slid that is hard to read

From the field ✈️ Andrew Hong attended the 2025 Entomological Society of America annual meeting to present his research on Luna moths and to network with peers.
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🐛 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

It's flu season! We're sorry to have to CANCEL this event but we'll reschedule when everyone is feeling better!

a person is standing at a lectern in a darkened room in front of a projection screen showing a grid of images titles Elasmobranchii and showing twelve different shark and rays with scientific names

From the field ✈️ Adrian Szu-Hsuan Lee attended the Evolution 2025 conference to present his work, connect with peers, and explore future research.
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🦈 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

an illustration of a small crab holding two puffy things and a fish behind it with the pun text below You cheer me up!

"You cheer me up!" 🦀 Natural History #ValentinesDay Cards

👉 Send to a friend!

Tiny pom pom crabs team up with sea anemones for protection, hunting and travel. When threatened, crabs wave their pair of anemones around like cheerleaders.

Story + more cards:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/natu...

a wide view of a steep mountain valley that is misty and green under lacy clouds in the distance and covered in trees in the near view with sunlight pouring across it from the right with a vivid glow against an empty blue sky

Scientists used a group of plants called melastomes to trace ancient bird flight paths over the Caribbean Sea.

Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/scie...

Study: doi.org/10.1093/botl...

📌 In memory of Walter Judd (1951 – 2026)

a person is standing in a storage facility of some kind with shelves of large jars behind him and he is holding a large jar and leaning a shoulder on a doorframe

a hand is holding a small frog while other hands are holding flashlights and pointing in a dusky dark light

a large, bumpy green and brown frog is at rest on a spray of long green leaves

Frogs, beer & science! 🐸 Leap into the fascinating world of frogs with herpetologist Dave Blackburn!

Feb 12 🍺 Science on Tap: Ribbit & Sip It
Join us and UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute for a ribbiting edition of Science on Tap @ Cypress & Grove. Event: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/event/scienc...

there is a small clean skull and two long bones, one of which is broken into three pieces, that look like they were from a large cat or other mammal positioned carefully on a black surface

From the field ✈️ Verity Mathis attended the SPNHC annual conference where she presented twice, attended workshops and networked with peers:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🐈 Travel funding supports activities and other needs of researchers here at the Florida Museum.

close up of a bumpy beige and green frog illuminated by a flash in darkness

close up of a freckled brown frog crawling across a lichen covered rock with someone holding a camera to take its photo out of focus just beyond the frog

From the field ✈️ Aleida Iriarte conducted fieldwork in Bolivia, searching for Microkayla, a group of cryptic & endangered brown frogs found at high elevations.
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🐸 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

there is a grid of six photos with the top four showing variations of plants that have moist, oval shaped leaves with veins radiating from the stem growing close to the ground and the bottom two show landscapes of very steep mountains under misty clouds

From the field ✈️ José Esteban Jiménez Vargas traveled to Ecuador for fieldwork and herbarium work documenting plant diversity of Peperomia (Piperaceae):
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🌿 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

a butterfly is at rest on a veiny leaf with its dark, triangular wings open to display the thin white bars that cross them to the orange spots at each point

a fringe of deep green forest rings the base of a tall, angular mountain peak with a fan of clouds obscuring the peak under a distant blue sky

A new study offers the first known correlation between latitude and rate of mimicry evolution in butterflies, consistent with a longstanding theory of biodiversity that can trace its origin to Alfred Russel Wallace.

Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/butt...

Study: doi.org/10.1111/syen...

a person is taking a selfie in front of grand double doors of a large building that could be a library or museum

several people are working in a lab area on what looks like rocks or ceramics and are wearing protective goggles and aprons with small machines

From the field ✈️ Gloria Church completed a three-week intensive course at MIT on petrography and how it can be applied to archaeological ceramics. Read:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🏺 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

a person is taking a selfie with a rippling lake ringed by thick grasses and tall pines as well as a tall mountain behind her

a group of people in hiking clothes are standing on a slope of bare granite rocks and tall pines with the sprawling view of a misty valley and mountains in the background

From the field ✈️ Ana Lopez recently presented at the Metabolomics Association of North America (MANA) Conference at Banff, Canada, and networked with peers:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🔬 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

Where do seashells come from? Seashells are the skeletons of sea creatures – and they’re older than you might think.

Scientist Spotted 🐚 Our paleontologist Michal Kowalewski collaborated with Tom Frazer @cmarinescience.bsky.social on a Curious Kids article for the @us.theconversation.com called 'Where do seashells come from?' to talk about these popular marine skeletons:
theconversation.com/where-do-sea...
🌊🏖️

a person is standing with arms held behind them in front of a large poster covered in boxes of small text and charts in an open conference room of some kind

From the field ✈️ Skyla Sheehy attended the Entomological Society of America's 2025 meeting, her first conference, to present her research on aquatic moths:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🐛 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

a person is standing behind a large wooden podium in a conference room with a screen behind her showing pictures of caterpillars and colorful insects and unclear graphs

From the field ✈️ Anastasia Garavaglia recently attended her first conference, the 2025 Entomological Society of America meeting, to present, learn & network:
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-...

🐛 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.