Skip to main content
  • Visit
  • Learn
  • Collections + Research
  • News + Blogs
  • About + Support

Florida Museum

  • Search
  • Visit
  • Learn
  • Collections + Research
  • News + Blogs
  • About + Support
  • Research News
  • Blogs
  • For Journalists
    • Our Research
    • Our People
    • Museum Life
    • #MuseumLife Blog
    • Museum Blogs Index
    • Press Releases
    • Media Contacts
    • Exhibit Press Kits

Florida Museum Science

Our Research

illustration of an agave plant with broad leaves growing from a central point close to the ground. Leaves are wide with large thorns at the point and along the edges.

Life on Earth

Scientists uncover the unexpected identity of mezcal worms

March 8, 2023

Mezcal is a distilled alcohol made from the boiled and fermented sap of agave plants. Most mezcal beverages — including…Read More

shark swimming in blue water photographed from above. The green-grey shark contrasts strongly with the blue water.

Life on Earth

Shark bites tied for 10-year low in 2022 but spiked in regional hotspots

February 6, 2023

The number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide decreased last year, tying with 2020 for the fewest number of reported incidents…Read More

elongated fish with short fins down the top and bottom length of its body and a small tail fin with a mark that mimics its round red eye

Florida Biodiversity

Non-native snakehead fish spotted for the first time along Florida’s Gulf Coast

January 23, 2023

A population of non-native aggressive, air-breathing fish known as the goldline snakehead (Channa aurolineata) was documented for the first time…Read More

Rodent fossils arranged on a white background

Life on Earth

Rodent extinctions in Hispaniola may have been caused by humans

January 10, 2023

The island of Hispaniola once had among the highest rodent diversity in the Caribbean, supporting 11 species that coexisted for…Read More

Two people stand next cliff face along a river bank. One person uses tools to dig while the other person watches.

Education Research

New study shows scientists improve communication, education skills after working with teachers

December 20, 2022

Every summer from 2012 to 2016, Bruce MacFadden and a team of scientists accompanied K-12 teachers on an expedition to…Read More

Pink mint flowers

Climate Change

Florida mints radiated as peninsula sank and resurfaced during ice ages

December 8, 2022

During the ice ages of the Pleistocene, the Florida peninsula regularly expanded to twice its current size as glaciers grew…Read More

Child looks through a magnifying glass at specimens in jar

Education Research

Children have less perceived access to important tools than reported by their parents

November 29, 2022

According to a new study, children think they have less access to common measurement tools and toys around the house…Read More

Large toad against a blank background

Evolution

A hard pillbug to swallow: First X-rays of frog feeding show how they consume prey

November 15, 2022

The phrase “to swallow one’s tongue” has been around since at least the 1880s and has been repurposed in several…Read More

Two sand dollars and a heart urchin on a black background

Climate Change

Sea urchins keep on trucking while other marine life languishes in the Florida Keys

November 7, 2022

In the summer of 2020, Florida Museum researchers Tobias Grun and Michał Kowalewski dove into the shallow waters off the…Read More

Close up of butterfly wings showing scales and patterns

Life on Earth

Rare and iconic Atala butterflies retain ancient pattern of wing symmetry

November 1, 2022

Nature seems to have an inexhaustible supply of inspiration when it comes to butterflies. With over 18,000 species, each with…Read More

123…40
Next →

Contact Info

Florida Museum of Natural History
Gainesville, FL 32611

Media inquiries:
Jerald Pinson, Science Writer

The Florida Museum Newsletters

Subscribe Now

Museum Info

  • Hours, Tickets + Directions
  • Staff Directory

Legal

  • © Copyright 2023
  • Contact the Web Manager
  • This page uses Google Analytics
  • Google Privacy Policy
  • UF Privacy Policy
  • Log In