Grainger Science Hub

Now in the Hub

Kingdom Fungi

Fungi are an extensive group of organisms that make up one of the five kingdoms of life on Earth. They are integral to our planet, interconnected with both plants and animals, and found on every continent. Fungi are also incredibly diverse, with 150,000 species known to science and potentially millions more waiting to be documented. Field Museum scientists are active in the lab and in field surveys, having described or reclassified more than 30 species of fungi since 2020 alone.

Come get an up-close look at a selection of fungal decomposers, mutualists, and parasites from the Field’s collection. Specimens include the Clathrus “Stinkhorn” mushroom, the Giant puffball Calvatia gigantea, the Chicago chanterelle Cantharellus chicagoensis, and the beautiful Specklebelly and Antarctic beard lichens (Psudocyphellaria rufovirescens and Usnea aurantiacoatra). And if you look closely, you’ll find Ophiocordyceps robertsii on display; a relative of the parasitic “zombie fungi”, this species has evolved to infect and ultimately erupt a fruiting body out of vegetable caterpillars.

The Art of Fossil Preparation: Archaeopteryx

The Chicago Archaeopteryx, the 13th specimen of this species known to science, is the most important addition to the Field Museum’s Genius Hall of Dinosaurs since SUE the T. rex. But did you know that it arrived at the Field Museum almost entirely concealed in a hard limestone matrix?

Without expert fossil preparation, key information within a fossil can be overlooked, obscured, or even destroyed. Field Museum Chief Fossil Preparator Akiko Shinya and Fossil Vertebrate Preparator Connie Van Beek spent 1,300 hours preparing the Chicago Archaeopteryx, ensuring that the scientific integrity of the fossil came first.

Guests to the exhibit can learn more about fossil preparation while exploring the Chicago Archaeopteryx fossil counter slabs (which contain small pieces of Archaeopteryx bone), as well as fossil preparation tools and other historical fossils that provide a then-and-now juxtaposition of preparation techniques.

Science Hub at Home activities

Think and act like a scientist at home with Science Hub at Home—a collection of activities brought to you by the Grainger Science Hub team. Each resource is inspired by some of our favorite items from the Field's collections. Gather a few supplies from around your house and get ready to make your own paint, jump like a frog, and go on a scavenger hunt!

Enjoy Science Hub at Home activities by downloading our printables featured below and find even more of these at-home resources in the Learning Resources hub.