Science and nature facts, news and stories

Discover what the aurora borealis is and why we sometime see these colourful lights in the sky.

Delve in to the wonderful world of birds and discover their incredible behaviour through photos from our Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. 

We take a look at the plants used to create the festive figgy pudding and the stories behind them.

Millions of years before modern birds evolved, their dinosaur ancestors were soaring through the air.

The earliest ancestors of birds looked noticeably different from the creatures familiar to us today, reflecting their dinosaur origins.

By the end of the Jurassic Period, dinosaurs ruled our planet. But how they became such a diverse group remains a mystery. 

The discoveries that changed our understanding of dinosaurs over the past two centuries.

Dinosaur expert Professor Paul Barrett answers your questions about the prehistoric reptiles that once ruled our world.

In 1982, the company managing the Santo Niño copper mine packed up and left. The local community is dealing with its toxic legacy.

The 350 elephants died because of a toxic algal bloom exacerbated by climate change.

Protecting a little bit more of the ocean could lead to big changes for whales.

It took a controversial conservation tactic to prevent these giant vultures from going extinct. 

Winter is a time where many animals conserve their energy, fly south or grow a thicker coat.  

Flocks of starlings form ever-changing, mesmerising aerial displays in autumn and winter. 

Help your local wild birds to survive winter by putting out these nutritious fat balls. 

Shrubs, climbers and small trees provide important food and shelter for insects, birds and other animals.

Get the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about these fascinating, slithering reptiles. 

With wingspans that stretched a whopping 71 centimetres, these epic insects would have blocked out the Sun as they flew past.  

Detachable, autonomous penis arms – need we say more?

From the tallest and the heaviest to giant nests and extra-long toes, discover the world’s record-breaking birds. 

New research into the Sun's magnetism could make solar storms easier to predict.

Welcome to the next era of natural history collections. 

Millions of pieces of human-caused debris are orbiting Earth. But are they an issue, and what can we do about them?

Anyone can capture the majesty of the galaxy with a simple camera. All you need is a dark, clear night and the willingness to have a go.

Buried alongside this individual were a range of symbolic objects.

Learn about the longest-surviving human species, which was also the first known to leave Africa.

The fossils show Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei lived alongside each other. 

What features make us human? And where, when and why did they evolve?

Worms and snails are living in cavities under the bottom of the sea.

Discover the fascinating, gelatinous world of jellyfish, from painful stings to brilliant bioluminescence. 

Trilobites survived for more than 250 million years. But what made them some of the most successful early animals?

Sea urchins can be found in every ocean on Earth. They’ve been around for 450 million years - but are they now at risk?

It's very difficult to know what the Antarctic was like before humans arrived – but whale bones could hold the answer.

Our butterfly expert talks about her life, passions and the power of perspectives.

A mystery beginning in the South Atlantic, and ending in South Kensington, has finally been solved.

Our latest attraction stands tall over the new gardens.