News

How volcanic eruptions give us clues to our distant ancestry

Some fossils give paleontologists a very clear picture of how they were formed and how long ago the organism perished. Others are a bit murky and need to be reanalyzed as our dating techniques improve over time. Believe it or not, volcanic eruptions help place fossils within the geologic timeline depending on the properties of the source material such as lava, ash and pumice. Volcanic rocks contain potassium including potassium 40 (K-40) - a radioactive element. Radioactive elements change (or decay) into more stable elements (in this case Argon) over time.

Sea dragon or curious salamander? The axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, has made quite a name for itself based on its appearance alone. These adorable amphibians are only found in the wild in one lake in the entire world. That lake, called Xochimilco and is located just south of Mexico City. Weighing in at about eight ounces, and just a foot long when fully grown, these little critters are hard to resist.

A Rare Large Predator from the Cambrian Period Discovered!

Nearly complete fossil of Anomalocaris canadensis (top) and Peytoia nathorsti (bottom), showing distinct overall appearance
What animal group has multifaceted eyes, a pineapple shaped body, a tooth-lined mouth, and a pair of spiny claws below its large head for grabbing prey?

Supersized Sauropods!

If you've ever been to the Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum you might remember having stood next to the fossil cast of the giant leg bone of Ultrasaurus, a huge sauropod belonging to the group of the largest of all terrestrial dinosaurs - the titanosaurs. Titanosaurs vary in size but many are so huge they go beyond our imaginations. These gentle giants were vegetarian and possessed really long tails and necks with a small head - think Brontosaurus.

Thank You Humboldt Sponsors

The Humboldt Sponsors have been ongoing supporters of the Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum.  This time the funding they have gifted us has enable us to purchase two new tablets for use in our museum programing!  These tablets will specifically be used for our Wonders of the Redwoods program connecting student in kindergarten through college with the redwood forest in some new ways. We also look forward to piloting the use of tablets to supplement several other in-museum exhibits.   

June 30th is Asteroid Day!

 

The United Nations has designated June 30 as Asteroid Day to increase public awareness about the risks and opportunities of asteroids in our Solar System.

 

Gray Whale Sets New World Record

Gray whales, Escrichtius robustus, are commonly seen off the coast of California as they typically migrate from Baja, their winter mating and birthing grounds, to Alaska, their summer feeding grounds where they gorge themselves before they head back south. This annual round trip migration makes them one of the longest migratory mammals traveling 10,000 to 12,000 miles every year, but one individual male broke the all time long distance record when he was reported off the coast of Namibia at least 13,000 miles away!  What is a gray whale doing that far from home?

Lestodon Leaves Behind Iceage Paleoburrows

There is a network of caves or burrows under parts of Brazil and other places in South America known about since the 1930s. It wasn't until recently however that geologists and paleontologists took a closer look at these structures and noticed that they were no ordinary caves. Long thought of as tunnels built by humans to escape colonizers, scientists now realize they weren't built by humans at all but by giant ground sloths and giant armadillos!  

Feathers and Fur Online After School Enrichment Program

 The Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum offers our newest Science Enrichment After School Program Online with 4 weeks of programs all about feathers and fur for 7-11 year old students.  If you want to learn more about birds and mammals - join us!

DNA study shows dire wolves are not wolves.

Dire wolves (Canis dirus) were widespread apex carnivores that lived in North America during the last several ice ages (~ 13,000 -125,000 years ago) and hunted megafauna from the same time period. They were 20 percent larger than modern gray wolves and have gained popularity through the TV show - Game of Thrones. Many specimens have been preserved in the fossil record including almost 3,500 recovered from the Rancho La Brea tar pits. When comparing their bones to wolves they look nearly identical.

Coloring During COVID Quest

The Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum partners with the Humboldt County Library to offer free coloring kits to local families. Pick up a coloring kit at any Humboldt County Library curbside pick-up. There are two kinds of kits each feature birds and animals - one kit has simpler coloring sheets and a package of crayons and the other kit has more detailed coloring sheets and a box of colored pencils. Request whichever one is best for your child. The Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum would love to display the finished artwork.

Science Enrichment After School Programs Online

The Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum launches our new Science Enrichment After School Programs Online with three weeks of programs all about birds for 9-12 year olds. 

A 40 foot long T Rex skeleton becomes the most expensive fossil selling for $30.8 million.

An anonymous buyer, during a Christie's auction in New York, breaks the record for the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold. This T Rex fossil, named Stan, is one of the best preserved T Rex skeletons in the world. 

NHM Welcomes Fall Cal Poly Humboldt Student Interns

The Cal Poly Humboldt Natual History Museum is pleased to welcome seven education interns this semester as well as a gallery studies intern.  These Humboldt students will be working with museum staff to develop and offer virtual programming this term. 

New Website Launch for the Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum

The Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum has a new look to our online presence!  Thank you to Cal Poly Humboldt Marketing & Communications Web Team for working with the museum to create our new site.

First Soft-Shelled Dinosaur Egg Fossils Found

Did mosasaurus, a dinosaur cousin, lay soft eggs or give life birth? The answer to this question was found in two different fossils.

NHM remains closed due to COVID 19

We will remain closed through the summer in line with Humboldt. The NHM plans to reopen early Fall (in person if safe, or virtually if need be).

99-Million-Year-Old Amber Preserves Skull of Hummingbird-Sized Dinosaur

We all imagine dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era to be huge, however, in 2016 one of the smallest dinosaurs ever found got trapped in a piece of 99 million year old amber found in Myanmar.

Shop at our unique store

bookshelves with lots of items for sale on them in side the museum

We have lots of new inventory this year from moon telescopes to solar paper. Investigate nature with an easy to use microscope, models, science kits, insect magnifiers, and identification guides. Learn about geology and Earth's fascinating past through fish fossils, shark teeth, dinosaur bones, dinsoaur replicas, and more. We have a variety of interesting and educational books for all ages!

Looking through our shop is always free.

Our Honey Bees departed

Honey bees pastel/chalk drawing on the plaza

Our honeybees have left for a better home. We think mites drove them out. We hope to get more bees Spring 2020.

 

New Little Free Library at the Museum

Philip and Manette Gerstle posing next to the little free library stand out in front of the Museum

The museum has a new LITTLE FREE LIBRARY donated by Philip and Manette Gerstle in remembrance of Ken Aalto, a retired Humboldt geology professor who helped map some of our local rocks and was admired in our community.

Little Free Libraries are increasing throughout the state and are a great way to make connections throughout a community.

Feel free to take a book and put one in its place.

66-Million-Year-Old Fossil Site Preserves Animals Killed within Minutes of Chicxulub Impact

Every now and then something profound is preserved in the fossil record. In North Dakota, a never-before-seen view of the day a giant asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago is one of these moments.

Celebrating 30, Looking to 40!

30th anniversary celebration, Saturday, April 27th, 1-4 pm. Ceremony at 2:30 pm. photo of baby dinosaur with bday hat on.

Thanks go out to all of the business that supported this event as well as to all of the people who were in attendance and to those that have supported and continue to support the museum over three decades!

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