American Museum of Natural History

New research shows that most modern dogs, from big Shiloh shepherds to tiny chihuahuas, carry small but noticeable traces of wolf ancestry from after they were first domesticated. These lingering wolf genes may have helped shape things like size, smelling ability, and even personality.

Using more than 2,700 published genomes of wolves, breed dogs, village dogs, and other canids from the late Pleistocene to today, a team led by researchers at the Museum and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History explored historical dog-wolf gene flow, finding that almost two-thirds of breed dogs have wolf ancestry from crossbreeding that occurred around 1,000 generations ago.

“Prior to this study, the leading science seemed to suggest that in order for a dog to be a dog, there can’t be very much wolf DNA present, if any,” said the study’s lead author Audrey Lin, a Gerstner Postdoctoral Scholar in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the Museum. “But we found if you look very closely in modern dog genomes, wolf is there. This suggests that dog genomes can “tolerate” wolf DNA up to an unknown level and still remain the dogs we know and love.”

6 days ago | [YT] | 190

American Museum of Natural History

Have you ever seen a flapjack devilfish (Exsuperoteuthis depressa)? Growing up to 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long, this tiny cephalopod isn’t a strong swimmer. Instead, it spends most of its time in pancake-like flatness on the seafloor, where it probes the sediment to find worms and small invertebrates to eat. It inhabits parts of the Pacific Ocean near Japan and has been spotted at depths of up to 3,609 ft (1,100 m) below the surface.
Photo: Totti, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

1 week ago | [YT] | 353

American Museum of Natural History

Here’s a festive Throwback Thursday photo from 1969! On this Thanksgiving, the world-famous parade passed the Museum’s 77th Street turret with a very special float: a sauropod dinosaur. This inflatable Apatosaurus measured an impressive 60 ft (18.3 m) long! The giant green dinosaur featured big eyes, a wide grin, and a 20-ft (6-m) tail. The original Apatosaurus balloon made its first parade debut in 1963 and was retired from service in 1976.
Photo: Image no. 62158_21a, © AMNH Library
Alt: An archival black and white photo of the Thanksgiving parade passing the Museum’s turret.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 503

American Museum of Natural History

Ever feel like a fish out of water? Meet the giant mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri). Believe it or not, this fish needs to breathe air and spends a decent amount of time on land! Found on the muddy shores of mangroves in parts of Southeast Asia, it uses its pectoral fins to “skip” or “walk” across mudflats.

Photo: mysorekid, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, iNaturalist

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 450

American Museum of Natural History

It's time for Trilobite Tuesday! Trilobites were among the first animals to develop the ability to enroll for protection. With their thick calcite shells, an enrolled trilobite could present quite the daunting challenge for any predator seeking an easy meal. Scientists think trilobites first started using this defensive position some 520 million years ago, during the Lower Cambrian. By the time Dipleura (pictured) inhabited the primal seas during the Devonian, trilobites had long-since mastered this art of rolling up into spherical “balls” This specimen, found in Pennsylvania, is nearly 3 in (7.6 cm) in diameter.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 534

American Museum of Natural History

Happy Fossil Friday! Which of our recent featured fossils is your favorite?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 185

American Museum of Natural History

Meet the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). Growing up to 374.8 lbs (170 kg), this species is commonly found swimming in ice-free northern waters; it prefers to inhabit saltwater bays and estuaries, or even freshwater lakes and rivers. Its diet includes fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. While the harbor seal is awkward on land and moves with a bouncing crawl, it’s a graceful swimmer in water. This marine mammal can hold its breath for up to 30 minutes and can even snooze while submerged!
Photo: Pierce Louderback, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
Alt: A photo of two harbor seals. One individual is on a rock. It is leaning toward another submerged seal, whose face is visible above the water. The animals are grayish in color with a spotted pattern. They appear to be touching noses.

1 month ago | [YT] | 463

American Museum of Natural History

What’s a polecat? Well, you’re looking at one: Meet the marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna)! Growing up to 25.8 in (65.5 cm) long, this mustelid’s short legs and low-slung body allow it to pursue prey underground. Its sharp claws help it to dig burrows and to snatch animals like rodents, lizards, and even insects. When threatened, it might arch its back and raise its tail, hissing in aggression, or release a strong odor from its anal glands. It can be found in parts of Europe and Asia.

Photo: zoofanatic, CC BY 2.0, flckr

1 month ago | [YT] | 462

American Museum of Natural History

Have you ever seen a white Common Raven (Corvus corax)? No, this isn’t a new species… or a ghost. 👻This Raven’s striking pale plumage is the result of the genetic mutations leucism or albinism. Leucism is a reduction in all types of pigmentation, including melanin. Albinism is the inability to produce or distribute melanin. One hint to tell the difference? Individuals affected by leucism often have blue eyes, while individuals with albinism have pink eyes. White Common Ravens are rare. An estimated 1 in 30,000 individuals is born without this species’ signature black plumage.
Photo: cedarleaf, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
Alt: A photo of a white Common Raven perched on a branch. The animal is covered in white plumage, has a downward-curved white beak, and blue eyes.

1 month ago | [YT] | 544

American Museum of Natural History

With Halloween right around the corner, we’ve got a “spooky” Fossil Friday for you! This mummified arctic ground squirrel was frozen into the permafrost some 20,000 years ago. Usually, only hard skeletal parts of an animal, such as bones or teeth, are preserved as fossils. But the dry, frozen conditions within permafrost “freeze-dried” the squirrel and prevented its skin from decaying!
Photo: © AMNH

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