Mammals

Get a sneak peek at some of the incredible images and stories that’ll feature in our upcoming exhibition.

Explore the story of how our biggest specimen was moved to its current home. 

Discover the journey of our largest specimen and what science and storytelling have revealed about Hope’s life.

Inspiring individuals are taking protection of this magnificent animal to new levels.

Having a pet can take its toll on the environment. But luckily there are plenty of things that we can do to reduce their carbon pawprints.

The identity of a mysterious artefact found in Devon almost 160 years ago has finally been revealed.

Titled Flying Rodent, the image by Josef Stefan soared to first place.

Bones unearthed at several sites show that dogs were widely distributed across West Eurasia by at least 14,000 years ago.

Scientists are trying to understand how this extraordinary sense is changing the structure of bat skulls.

Ancient wolf bones are revealing how today’s wolves might survive in a warmer world.

Centuries after they were wiped out, the reintroduction of beavers to the UK is gathering pace.

A prehistoric tool is reshaping our understanding of Europe’s early inhabitants.

Discover what makes a seal a seal, their impressive adaptations and the threats these important animals face.

The identity of a mysterious Roman-era skeleton found in southern England may have finally been resolved.

We now know how good the sense of smell was in giant sloths, sabre-toothed tigers and other long-lost species.

Sri Lanka’s elephants are unknowingly consuming plastic waste, potentially cutting their life spans in half. 

The lifestyle of the dingo was dramatically altered after European colonists reached Australia in 1788.

New Australopithecus fossils found in Ethiopia are changing the human family tree.

Discover which species call the UK home, where to see them and how to watch them safely. 

Antarctica is renowned for its icy landscapes – but has become one of the fastest warming places on Earth.

Wim van den Heever awarded the Grand Title for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 61.

Our oldest companions have quite the unlikely ancestor.

Columbian and woolly mammoths were breeding together for thousands of years.

The overlooked thumbs of rodents are key to understanding the lives of mice, rats and more.

Some of the world’s oldest evidence of human violence has been discovered in Vietnam.

There’s a lot more to these social media icons.

The lynx has been absent from the UK for centuries, but its return could help to restore the country’s biodiversity.

A human species arrived on the island of Sulawesi in southeast Asia more than 800,000 years earlier than previously known.

Colugos are sometimes called flying lemurs however, they aren’t lemurs, and they technically can’t fly.

There’s an abundance of wildlife that can be spotted along the coasts of the British Isles.

Scientists have taken a step forward in understanding how our species survived outside Africa.

The fossil expands the Denisovan's known range by thousands of kilometres and provides new insights into how this species looked.

New research is shedding light on the lives ancient humans who lived in a lush and green Sahara Desert.

Manatees return to Florida’s Crystal River as locals restore seagrass lost to pollution. 

Some whales don’t have teeth – so how do they catch their dinner?

Dark brown was in fashion for mammals and their relatives over 150 million years ago.

The ancient human species Homo luzonensis is one of the most recent branches to be added to the human evolutionary tree.

Explore impressive adaptations animals have evolved for coping with sub-zero temperatures.

Find out how Homo sapiens left Africa and migrated to other regions of the world, including Europe, Asia and America.

Ian Wood’s photo No Access fought off competition from 24 other images to emerge victorious.

Find out key facts about our species, Homo sapiens, and how we evolved.

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

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

A breakthrough fossil discovery is changing what we know about some of the largest mammals to ever walk the Earth.

Tests on 11 dolphins in the USA revealed every one had tiny pieces of plastic in their breath.

Fossils discovered in northern Australia mark the beginning of a 25-million-year-old family.

The jawbone of Ontocetus posti helps to reveal how the animals became specialised suction feeders.

Tiny teeth are revealing the roots of the modern mammal lifestyle.

A molar found in sand from south London could shed light on the last days of an ancient mammal.

Ancient DNA has been reconstructed in three dimensions for the first time ever using a 52,000-year-old mammoth.

Only 1,000 Bornean elephants are thought to be left in the wild.

Uncover the past, present and future of cattle and what this means for climate change and nature.

While the researchers describing Buronius manfredschmidi claim it is a new species, not all scientists are convinced.

Seal diversity is just a snapshot of the species that used to exist. 

Looking back at the story of the Tasmanian tiger, the echoes of colonialism and its impact on Australia’s wildlife today. 

It is the first time a wild animal has been seen applying a medicinal plant to an injury.

Every year thousands of elephants are still killed for their ivory.

Learn about Barbary macaques and the challenges they face.

A select group of toothed whales may have doubled their lifespan to become better grandparents.

New research is cutting male mammals down to size.

It may look like it’s fallen to Earth from space, but the star-nosed mole is perfectly adapted to its wet soil habitats.

The orcas have learnt to catch and eat young great white sharks in less than two minutes.

Nima Sarikhani’s stunning picture of a sleeping polar bear was crowned 2023's People's Choice.

The first modern humans to live in northern Europe arrived more than 45,000 years ago.

Take a virtual tour of the Natural History Museum and explore the astonishing diversity of the natural world.

Invasive ants are reducing tree cover on the savannah, causing lions to hunt buffalo over zebra.

Scientists have successfully managed to perform IVF on a rhino for the first time.

A jawbone fragment overlooked for more than 100 years was once part of a nine-metre-long ancient whale.

It’s said that you are what you eat – and that’s certainly true of toothed whales.

Going back to basics could help to unlock the mysteries of our origins.

Almost half of marine mammals around the UK are being poisoned by banned chemicals.

Their style of mating is more similar to birds than any known mammal.

Professor Chris Stringer, our longest-serving researcher, is set to be honoured for his contributions to human evolution.

Your dog could have its day as part of a new scientific study.

Dental plaque may help to reveal what prehistoric humans ate.

African wildlife is more than twice as likely to flee from the sound of humans than lions.

Around the world, over 3,600 whales and dolphins are being kept in captivity.

Only four confirmed specimens are known to science.

Almost 99% of all human ancestors may have been wiped out around 930,000 years ago, a new paper has claimed.

A new study demonstrates the extraordinary ability of whales to develop new ways of feeding.

Whiskers may have been crucial to allow seals to adopt a life in water.

Elephants and their relatives evolved in a previously unappreciated way.

Melting polar ice caps may have pushed some of the first ancient humans out of Europe.

Nile crocodiles may have a limited ability to understand our emotions.

Fossils found in Peru are redefining the history of whale evolution.

A new statue is joining the world’s oldest display of extinct wildlife in south London.

Neanderthals might have been making some of Europe’s oldest art thousands of years before the arrival of humans.

Our ancient relatives may have reached southeast Asia over 10,000 years earlier than thought.

Kangaroos spring up faster when they’re living with their predators.

Our top tips for how to see nocturnal animals as they go about their busy lives after dark. 

Primate poo is revealing how pollutants are affecting threatened species in the wild.

Mammal evolution has been flipped on its head, according to new research that suggests marsupials are the more evolved mammals.

Get to know the Arctic’s most friendly faced white whales.

52-million-year-old fossils of Icaronycteris gunnelli offer researchers a deeper look at how bats evolved.

Whales started becoming big early in their evolution – and kept going for millions of years.

As many as 50 beavers could be living in Somerset and Wiltshire, Natural England has revealed.

Why are elusive spectacled bears roaming Quito's city limits?

22 rewilding schemes will share £850,000 to help bring back nature in the UK's capital city.

An outbreak of bird flu has swept the world over the past year, raising fears that humans could become more vulnerable.

While conservationists have welcomed the announcement, they've also raised concerns that the proposals aren't enough to protect vulnerable marine habitats.

Ancient Norwegian and Greek literature may have described trap feeding as much as 2,000 years before it was first observed in 2011.

The Yangtze finless porpoise has faced habitat loss and a reduced range as a result of sand mining, but a suspension of the practice offers hope that they could recover. 

From looking like Pokémon to having more nipples than any other mammal, tenrecs are an unusual bunch. 

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

Catch up on season one of our interactive behind-the-scenes live stream.

A chink in the armour of giant South American armadillos may have left them vulnerable to human hunting.

Fossils discovered in Sussex were compared to human remains found in Spain from a similar time period to see if the populations are linked.

The discovery of a seven million-year-old gibbon fossil has filled a long-elusive gap in the fossil record.

Dam building in Australia is reducing gene flow between platypus groups, piling pressure on populations whose numbers are already falling.

The question of how the Neanderthals died out remains one of the biggest mysteries in human evolution.

The study could help in predicting how species will respond to the rapidly changing environment.

The aye-aye is one of 12 primates that pick their nose - but we have no good reason why the behaviour evolved.

Left alone over time, many graveyards have become secluded sanctuaries where plant and animal life can thrive.

A herd of bison released into woodland near Canterbury, Kent, have surprised conservationists by giving birth to a calf.

While their function remains uncertain, the sinuses provide an insight into how ancient human skulls changed over time.

Red squirrels are developing differently depending on the region of the UK they live in. 

Sometimes reminding ourselves of a conservation failure can be just as important as celebrating our successes.

Female wildebeest are engaged in an evolutionary arms race - but scientists aren't sure why.

A new study shows the tunnelling mammals are among a handful of mammals known to be capable of an unusual process known as Dehnel's phenomenon.

Andean mice grow differently depending on what side of the mountain they come from.

Scientists and conservationists are continuing to investigate this phenomenon, with the exact reasons remaining unclear.

A beluga whale has been spotted heading towards Paris, thousands of miles from its natural habitat.

The ability of dolphins and toothed whales to echolocate is shaped before they're even born.

While the evolutionary history of the bears remains uncertain, it contributes evidence to suggestions that panda bears could have evolved in Europe. 

As mammaliamorphs switched from being cold to warm blooded, new behaviours, habitats and ways of living became available to them.

Loud sound bursts throwing cetaceans out of balance and risk their health, amid growing concern over the impacts of anthropogenic noise pollution. 

By scaring away the great whites, the killer whale hunters are altering the habits of other sharks, abalone and even penguins.

Fossil bones and antlers in the collection hold clues about the life and disappearance of Europe's biggest ever deer.

A Critically Endangered species of albatross may be in more danger than previously thought. 

A group of newly-discovered polar bears may reveal how the Arctic mammals could survive climate change. 

We now know how whales evolved from furry, four-legged critters to giants of the ocean.

There are fewer than 10 vaquita left in the world, but it's still possible to save the species.

Diseases which spread between animals and humans, such as Ebola virus, are likely to spread further than ever before.

Freezing koala eggs and sperm may help to buy the species time while wider threats are tackled.

Understanding how bats, which are one of nature's largest disease reservoirs, have changed over time can help scientists to identify new disease hotspots.

The reintroduction is another step forward for campaigns to return the aquatic rodent to the UK.

Living over 40 million years before the sabre-tooth tiger, Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae may have preyed on rhinos and primates in the forests of California. 

While it could provide a useful stopgap, there is no guarantee the technique, or whales, will ever fully restore what has been lost.

Up to three quarters of all of Britain's rural hedgehogs have been lost in the past 20 years.

Just 20 large mammals, including beavers, bears and bison, could bring back communities across a quarter of the planet.

Discover what these rodents get up to - what they eat, where they sleep and why they keep digging holes in your garden.

Modern humans arrived in western Europe about 10,000 years earlier than previously thought.

The animals roamed Devon's vast grasslands thousands of years ago.

Pandas develop a supercharged gut for part of the year, allowing them to gain weight when they chow down on the most nutritious parts of bamboo.

Animals can be detected from hundreds of metres away, just by the presence of their DNA in the air.

Over 30 species around the world are named after Christmas Day because of their bright colours, where they come from or when they reproduce.

The genetic landscape of England and Wales was shaken up thousands of years ago as new arrivals redefined its people.

From snowshoe-like feet to a nose that works like a dehumidifier, discover the amazing adaptations camels have that help them survive.

Ancient elephants that would have been born the size of a puppy lived for decades more than previously thought.

The fossils of 'very weird animals' have helped show how elephants and walruses may have evolved their iconic tusks.