"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...

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...

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...

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!

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.

"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...

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)

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...

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.

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.

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 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...

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.

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.

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... 🌊🏖️

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.

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.

From the field ✈️ Lungelo Khanyile recently visited the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Herbarium to further their research on the evolution of African flora. More: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-... 🦋 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

From the field ✈️ Ava Johnson presented at the 2025 Entomological Society of America’s Annual Meeting, attended talks & workshops, and networked with peers. www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-... 🦋 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

Museum Resource 🗺️ Historical Archaeology Artifact Gallery Browse a selection of artifacts from our Historical Archaeology collection online, including tableware, jewelry, book clasps and horseshoes: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/histarch/art...

Tom and John Emmel and Sterling Mattoon officially began their work on “The Butterflies of California” book in 1974. Now, more than 50 years after they began, the book draft has officially been published online and is freely available to the public: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/the-... 🦋📕

Snack size and party size. Thorny skates have a large distribution, but there's been a mystery about why individuals of this species along the coast of North America come in two distinct sizes, irrespective of sex. Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/thor... Illustration by Jorge Machuky

Scientist Spotted 🦏 Advait Jukar, Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology here at the Museum, quoted in a National Geographic article about woolly rhino tissue recovered from the stomachs of mummified wolf puppies in northeastern Siberia: www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti... 🐺🐺

Museum Collections 🪝 Faunal Fishhook Gallery Learn the terminology of fish hooks, browse the gallery and have a look into how our researchers investigate the cultural history of our state through these rare discoveries: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/flarch/colle...

“We had to go on a rescue mission and get as many fossils out as possible, and we got a lot of them,” Lazaro said. Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/pale... A friendly competition between colleagues revealed an unusual story about hutias, giant barn owls & burrowing bees in a Caribbean cave.

Museum Resource 🐍 Florida Snake ID Guide Easy visual ID and searchable tool for learning about our state's snakes including habitat, range, diet & lookalikes. Featured: Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos) Full info and explore more: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-snak... NON-VENOMOUS

Online Exhibit 🪶 Rare, Beautiful & Fascinating Feature: Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) "The Passenger Pigeon is maybe the most dramatic extinction story that we have in North America," said David Steadman. 🎧 Read the story + listen to Dave: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/100-years/ob...

Museum Resource 🐟 Fishes in the Fresh Waters of Florida Explore our state's freshwater fish species and click through to collection records, photos and map. Shown: Swamp Darter (Etheostoma fusiforme), native to Florida's freshwaters 🔗 More info & browse: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fis...

Exhibit #SciArt 🎨 Florida Pleistocene Paleontologists have found Pleistocene fossils in almost every county in Florida, speaking to our state’s rich biodiversity during this period. 🗝️ Check out the exhibit art + key, and fossils from our collections: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/blo...

Our scientists and students had a busy year! Catch up on our 2025 research news on our website: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/

Research 2025 #YearInReview 💧 Biologists found an amphibian called a caecilian hiding away in a Florida canal in 2019. The species is native to South America, but a recent study by Coleman Sheehy and team show that they're now firmly established in Florida. Paper: journals.ku.edu/reptilesanda...

Last call! We're hiring 👉 Invertebrate Paleontology Collection Manager 📌 Apply by Jan 5, 2026 This position will manage the extensive collections, conduct fieldwork, participate in public outreach & pursue external funding. 🔸 Full info + application: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/inver...

Scientist Spotted 💧 Akito Kawahara (@dr-akito.bsky.social), director of our McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, spoke to Scientific American about this rare sighting of lachryphagy - tear drinking - this time involving moths and a moose: www.scientificamerican.com/article/phot...

2025 #YearInReview 👏👏👏 It was a big year for our faculty, staff and students! Alongside notable faculty and staff changes, our researchers and student scientists were recognized with a wide variety of awards for their work. Read some of these stories: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/topi...

Local students connected with our archaeologists as they prepared for an upcoming robotics competition. The team's robot-building challenge includes an innovation project: identifying and proposing a solution to a real-world problem in archaeology. Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/stud...

A friendly competition between colleagues revealed an interesting story about hutias, giant barn owls and burrowing bees in a Caribbean cave. Paleontologists find first bee nest fossils made inside fossilized bones www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/pale... Illustration by Jorge Machuky

We are proud to present our fiscal year 2024–2025 annual report. This past year has been one of tremendous change and growth for the Florida Museum! For a full review of our faculty accomplishments, staff and student activities, financials & more: 📘 www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/feature/annu...

From the field ✈️ Sajan K C and Anisha Sapkota conducted a field survey of Giant Skippers across western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Read about it: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/from-... 🐛 Travel funding supports professional development of student researchers at the Florida Museum.

“If you’re not sharing what you do, what’s the point?” A new survey shows museum faculty, staff and students feel that giving people a look at what goes on behind the scenes is a crucial part of their job. Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/muse... Study: doi.org/10.1111/cura...

Tom and John Emmel and Sterling Mattoon officially began their work on “The Butterflies of California” book in 1974. Now, more than 50 years after they began, the book draft has officially been published online and is freely available to the public: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/the-... 🦋📕

Exhibit #SciArt 🎨 Florida Pleistocene Paleontologists have found Pleistocene fossils in almost every county in Florida, speaking to our state’s rich biodiversity during this period. 🗝️ Check out the exhibit art + key, and fossils from our collections: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/blo...

Alia Donly, a Utah State University student, traveled here to the McGuire Center to image and DNA sample all of our specimens of the Sand Mountain Blue butterfly (Euphilotes pallescens arenamontana) that lives on a single dune system in Nevada. Read more: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/mcguire/news...

Congrats! 👏👏👏🦋 Four of our @ufl.edu students were recognized at the Entomological Society of America’s 2025 meeting. Proud of the hard work of Anastasia Baluk Garavaglia, Jahir Rayhan, Skyla Sheehy & Rachel Walsh! #EntSoc25 More: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/the-... 📸: @swamplily.bsky.social

We're hiring! 👉 Invertebrate Paleontology Collection Manager This position will manage the IP collections, conduct fieldwork, participate in public outreach & pursue external funding. 🔸 Full info: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/inver... 🔸 Apply via @ufl.edu: explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/53...

Scientists used a World War II-era statistical method on hundreds of museum specimens to determine whether extinct species were predominantly aquatic or terrestrial, clearing up some ongoing debates in paleontology. Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/from... Study: doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...

Online Exhibit 🌊 Rare, Beautiful & Fascinating Feature: Cross-section of Hard Clam (Mercenaria campechiensis) Clam shells form yearly growth rings that record changes in the marine environment during the life of the animal. 🎧 More with Doug Jones: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/100-years/ob...

Museum Resource 🏺 Caribbean ceramic ID Saladoid is #FancyAF, polychrome painting with a glossy finish, est. 800-200 BC in Venezuela, spread into Puerto Rico & the Lesser Antilles. Emily Kracht created these info cards for Ceramic Tech Lab. Check them out: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/ceramiclab/b...

Scientist Spotted 🦣 BBC talked to our paleontologist Advait Jukar about fossils preserved in Florida's freshwater springs and how they help researchers understand our past and present biodiversity. Diving into Florida’s prehistoric cave of Ice Age secrets www.bbc.com/reel/video/p...

Good photography is a powerful tool to help tell stories and capture imaginations. 👏👏👏 Congrats to our staff Mariela Pajuelo, Kristen Grace & Jeff Gage, each recognized for their photography featuring elements of natural and cultural history! 📸 Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/thre...