Skip to content

The Academy of Natural Sciences

Home
About

Author: Isa Betancourt

How to celebrate 17-year cicadas – eat one!

May 13, 2021 Isa Betancourt Entomology, Featured

Try our Cicada and Grits recipe

Read more

Summer Butterfly Guide

July 31, 2020 Isa Betancourt Entomology, Featured

Learn which butterflies to look for in our region this summer.

Read more

Search for:

Instagram

acadnatsci

The oldest natural history museum in North America. Open Wednesday-Sunday. Save $2 on your timed tickets 🎟 visit ansp.org

Check out this beautiful line drawing of one of ou

Check out this beautiful line drawing of one of our dioramas that recent visitor @toniillustration created! ⁠
🤔 Do you know which animal habitat this is? Give us your best guess in the comments! Hint: This animal lives in rainforests in central Africa and is related to the giraffe🦒

This could be you this weekend - up close to real

This could be you this weekend - up close to real fossils! Paleopalooza, our annual festival of fossils, is happening on Saturday and Sunday, October 23 and 24. ⁠
⁠
🦖 Meet Academy scientists and check out the interesting specimens they’re working on.⁠
🦖 Enjoy a guided tour of Dinosaur Hall ⁠
🦖 Make-and-take a Cretaceous craft⁠
🦖 Talk to our knowledgeable paleontology partners from @bbpaleo and check out rare fossils. ⁠
🦖 Learn about our researchers' latest projects and discover how the ancient world is still with us during auditorium presentations. ⁠
⁠
Link in bio to get tickets. ⁠
⁠

We promise our dinosaurs don't bite! Paleopalooza,

We promise our dinosaurs don't bite! Paleopalooza, our annual festival of fossils and all things dinosaur, kicks off this weekend with a Junior Scientist Workshop. Link in bio to learn more. ⁠
⁠
📷 by recent visitor @texasrho who said "Another day of discovery. It's the dinosaurs, reptiles and amphibians for him. Soakin' up the saurs"! Thanks for visiting and sharing your adventures!

A #TBT from the contents of the Academy's Library

A #TBT from the contents of the Academy's Library and Archives! Chōga rinpin tensha hyō, or The Pressed Specimens of Butterflies and Moths, was created by the Nawa Entomological Laboratory using a method of lepidochromy developed by Yasushi Nawa, allowing for the wings of butterflies and moths to be permanently preserved while the bodies were painted in gouache.

Our #FishOfTheWeek is the daisy parrotfish (Chloru

Our #FishOfTheWeek is the daisy parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus). It is widespread throughout the reefs of the Indo-Pacific. Parrotfish are named for their parrot-like beaks which are formed by their tightly packed teeth. These beaks grow continuously and are worn down during feeding on algae covered corals. After the parrotfish digests the edible portions from the rock or coral, the rest is excreted as sand. Parrotfish feeding prevents algal overgrowth of reef structures and is a major producer of sand for beaches and islands. Before going to sleep the daisy parrotfish secretes mucus from its mouth which forms a protective cocoon. This cocoon’s purpose is not fully understood but it could hide its scent from predators or protect the fish from parasites. The daisy parrotfish is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning they are born female and change sex to male when they reach a total length of 40 centimeters. Our specimen from the Indian Ocean is 22 centimeters long and still female. ⁠
📷: Jack Ivie @jcivie

Happy #NationalFossilDay! Of course, we love fossi

Happy #NationalFossilDay! Of course, we love fossils here at the Academy and it's almost time for one of our favorite festivals – Paleopalooza! Visit the link in bio to check out the full line up of events during our annual festival of fossils.⁠

We want to know: what is your favorite fossil at the Academy? Let us know in the comments!
⁠
📷 by recent visitor @mdushaio, thanks for visiting!

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Academy of Natur

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University acknowledges that we are located on Lenni Lenape land. We have a responsibility to our natural world and the land upon which we work, and that means critically reflecting on our history and illuminating the stories and knowledge of Indigenous communities and their cultures.⁠
⁠
We celebrate our staff and friends who identify as Indigenous. Please visit the link in our bio to read an article from the National Museum of the American Indian that explores the importance of shifting focus of this day from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Did you know that we have a fossil prep lab in the

Did you know that we have a fossil prep lab in the back of our Dinosaur Hall? Our friends @bbpaleo just discovered some dinosaur bones in Montana and are now working on getting them cleaned up. Next time you visit the museum be sure to stop by and see what they are working on! ⁠
⁠
Oh, and did we mention that Paleopalooza is coming up? Check out the link in bio to learn more about our festival of fossils!

The recent passage of Hurricane Ida, and Tropical

The recent passage of Hurricane Ida, and Tropical Storm Isaias before it, reminded us of the physical vulnerability of the Greater Philadelphia region to extreme precipitation. While climate change is likely making flooding worse, communities such as Eastwick in Southwest Philly have endured repeated, catastrophic flooding for decades. ⁠
⁠
Join us for an Academy Town Square on Saturday, October 16. Residents of Eastwick will share their challenges as well as their determined spirit — describing the history of a remarkable community organizing effort and raising awareness of what we can do to support it. Link in bio to register.

Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

Remembering the Great Auk
A Decade of Drexel and the Academy
Women Voices on Climate Change, Part 2
Women Voices on Climate Change
Members’ Night 2021

WordPress Theme: Poseidon by ThemeZee.