Field Museum Establishes Endowed Legal Fellowship Honoring Cultural Heritage Law Pioneer Dr. Patty Gerstenblith

The slab-stone roof of a subterranean tomb on residential Terrace 925 at El Palmillo, Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico (ca. 700–850 CE). The image foreground is the surface of a domestic patio with small remnants of white plaster, while the tomb was situated under a room of the house (positioned on the terrace). Note the small carved stone, which was part of the patio banquette in front of the tomb. When in use, the tomb was entered from the patio.

Societies around the world have buried their dead at home. Anthropologists want to understand why the practice started, and why it has largely disappeared.

Left: The “new” species of pangolin, Manis aurita. © Tulshi Laxmi Suwal.Right: Anderson Feijó in the collections of the Field Museum, reaching for a pangolin specimen. © Bella Koscal, Field Museum.

This pinecone-looking animal is the world’s most-trafficked mammal. New analysis of its DNA and a rebuilt family tree could help save it from poaching.

Baby crocodile-like early tetrapods called embolomeres. New fossil evidence suggests that these embolomeres did not undergo a metamorphosis the way that modern amphibians do when growing up, which challenges a long-standing scientific belief that amphibians, reptiles, and mammals evolved from animals that had a tadpole stage. Illustration by Berit Goding.

Fossilized babies of ancient crocodile-like predators uproot scientists’ understanding of how animals adapted to the land

The new microraptor dinosaur Jian changmaensis (left) attacks the early bird Gansus yumenensis (right) in what is now the Changma Basin of northwestern China approximately 120 million years ago. Credits: illustration by Lewis LaRosa, colorized by Jão Canola.

New species of dinosaur, a cousin of Velociraptor, probably glided on four “wings” and hunted early birds

The partnership includes a limited-edition Ventra card featuring ‘Excavator Pikachu’ from the Pokémon Fossil Museum.

Catch the CTA to Pokémon Fossil Museum at the Field Museum

Plumadraco fossil (left) and an illustration showing Plumadraco in life. Photo by Clark et al, illustration by Ville Sinkkonen.

“Feathered dragon” had some of the longest tail feathers ever found on a fossil bird

The new species of octopus, 5,800 feet deep in the ocean near Isla Darwin. Photo credit: Charles Darwin Foundation.

This newly-discovered blue octopus from the Galápagos Islands could curl up in the palm of your hand

Pokémon Reveals New Merchandise for Upcoming  Pokémon Fossil Museum Exhibition 

Left: Crystals growing inside a bone found at the Lingjing archaeological site; these crystals were used to date the site, and the tools found there, to an ice age 146,000 years ago. Photo by Zhanyang Li. Right: One of the 146,000-year-old stone cores used to make butcher’s tools found in Lingjing, China. Photo by Yuchao Zhao.

Ice Age butcher’s tools are a sign of ancient humans’ creativity during hard times

Sabina Cveček documenting pottery assemblage from an ancient house from a 5,000-year old house at Çukuriçi Höyük in western Türkiye, offering insight into everyday life and kinship practices in Early Bronze Age households.

Ancient burial practices and DNA research reveal that family goes beyond genetic relatedness

(Left) Woolly Dogs is now open in Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories, 2025 (Right) Eliot White-Hill Kwulasultun, co-curator of Woolly Dogs.

Gone, but not forgotten: How an extinct dog breed still lives on through memory and tradition in Coast Salish communities

Left: wide open plaza and avenues in the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan, a society in which people had more voice. Right: a carved stone stela with a depiction of a ruler at Copán (a Maya city in what is now Honduras), which had a more autocratic form of governance.

New study shows democracy has deep global roots—not just Greece and Rome

Lead author Matt von Konrat in his laboratory at the Field Museum on February 26, 2026, examining the tiny bits of moss found with the re-buried bodies at Burr Oak Cemetery in 2009. Photo © Field Museum.

How moss helped solve a grave-robbing mystery

Illustration showing Tanyka amnicola in life, eating underwater plants. By Vitor Silva

This ancient plant-eater had a twisted jaw and sideways-facing teeth

(Left) A community-made siapo (painted cloth) will be featured in the exhibition. (Right) Co-curator, Reggie Meredith Fitiao works on the siapo.

New exhibition sheds light on thriving traditional Samoan art in American Samoa

Left: A reconstruction of Tyrannoroter heberti, eating a fern. Illustration by Hannah Fredd. Right: Arjan Mann with a 3D-printed replica of Tyrannoroter’s skull in the Carboniferous coal forest display at Chicago’s Field Museum. © Field Museum.

Football-sized fossil creature may have been one of the first land animals to eat its veggies

A life reconstruction of Archaeopteryx, including the oral papillae on the roof of its mouth, a bill-tip organ at the end of its beak, and a flexible-yet-sturdy tongue made possible by an extra tongue bone. Illustration by Ville Sinkkonen.

The earliest known bird had complex tongue bones and fleshy “teeth” on the roof of its mouth—which might have helped it snag the food it needed for flight

White - eared Sibia (Heterophasia auricularis) visiting the shorter and wider flowers of Aeschynanthus acuminatus in Xitou, central Taiwan. Pollen deposited during the visit is visible on the Sibia's forehead. Photo by Jing - Yi Lu

This flower evolved a new shape so that different birds could pollinate it. Then, it spread.

These fossils were the perfect home for ancient baby bees

The unlucky fossil bird, preserved with over 800 tiny rocks in its throat (visible as the gray mass next to the left of its neck bones).

This fossil bird choked to death on rocks, and no one knows why

Field Museum scientist Matt von Konrat examining dried moss collected in 2013 in a botanical survey as part of a  homicide investigation. Photo courtesy of Field Museum.

Solving mysteries with moss

Thorsten Lumbsch Vice President, Science and Education; Curator, Lichenized Fungi Science and Education

Field Museum’s VP of Science joins prestigious Royal Academy of Sciences academic staff, lauded for transformative work on lichens

Entrance to the Africa Hall  permenant exhibition

Renovations to the Field Museum’s Africa Hall, opening in 2028, will celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of African cultures, while highlighting complex innovations and new research on the world’s longest record of the human story

Most rodents have thumbnails instead of claws. It might help explain how they took over the world.

Left: Skull and skin from a vole, collected in 1898 in Chicago. Right: Authors Stephanie Smith and Anderson Feijó examining chipmunk specimens in the Field Museum’s collections.

Chicago’s rodents are evolving to handle city living

Left: An aerial shot of the Medio Putumayo-Algodón region, which is newly protected. Right: a woolly monkey, which is classified as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Photo credit: Álvaro del Campo/Field Museum.

Newly-declared conservation area in Peru is home to pink dolphins, giant armadillos, and woolly monkeys

Reptiles Alive! opens June 20, 2025, at the Field Museum.

New exhibition journeys through the world of reptiles, while uncovering their extraordinary adaptations

“Excavator Pikachu” helps visitors explore the Pokémon Fossil Museum special exhibition. (Credit: The Pokémon Company group/Field Museum)

Pokémon Fossil Museum Special Exhibition to Make North American Debut at Chicago's Field Museum

The Chicago Archaeopteryx, under UV light to expose soft tissues.

UV light and CT scans helped scientists unlock hidden details in a perfectly-preserved fossil Archaeopteryx

A woman, standing waist deep in water, tags an arapaima, a large freshwater fish. A man helps to hold the fish while several people in the background watch.

Women in Science: Lesley de Souza, Conservation Biologist

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The newest edition of The Changing Face of Science highlights the life and work of Lesley de Souza, Ph.D.  © Field Museum

New Changing Face of Science exhibition features conservation ecologist, uncovers the mysteries of freshwater ecosystems and the need for urgent action

Field Museum announces complete renovation of Africa and Ancient Egypt galleries

Three excavated Classic period (ca. 550–750 CE) houses at El Palmillo (Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico). Bottom: the largest and most elaborate residential structure (Platform 11). Top right: a less elaborate residence (Structure 35). Top Left: a smaller residence (Terrace 925). Image credit: Linda Nicholas and Gary Feinman.

Archaeologists measured and compared the size of 50,000 ancient houses to learn about the history of inequality. They found that it’s not inevitable.

The newest edition of The Changing Face of Science features the life and work of Dr. Sara Ruane.

New Changing Face of Science exhibition highlights multifaceted snake scientist

Left: Prehistoric stone tools, specifically the “cores” used to create smaller blades. Photo by Sara Watson. Right: Archaeological team excavating in the seaside cave. Photo by Sara Watson.

Ancient tools from a South African cave reveal connections between prehistoric people

Evan Saitta, the paper’s lead author, with an emperor penguin in the Field Museum’s bird collections.

When birds lose the ability to fly, their bodies change faster than their feathers

Mbeuk Idourrou collection, Imane Ayissi, Paris, France, Autumn/Winter 2019. Photo by Fabrice Malard / Courtesy of Imane Ayissi

Haute couture and cultural renaissance take center stage in Africa Fashion

Community scientists at the Field Museum have digitized more than a quarter-million items and records

Fossil predator is the oldest known animal with “saber teeth”

Person by a river in Guyana

Largest-ever scientific expedition to Guyana’s rainforest returns 

New Field Museum exhibition explores the curious world of cats

Field Museum launches photo contest for Cats: Predators to Pets

New research on mummified remains offer scientists rare glimpse behind ancient wrappings

Predatory birds from the same fossil formation as SUE the T. rex

Zeroing in on the genes that snakes use to produce venom

Don’t judge a fossil by its teeth: despite its toothy beak, this ancient bird ate fruit, not fish

Left: Monarch butterfly on a milkweed flower. Photo by Mark and Michelle Rogovin. Right: Milkweed garden in an alley behind a garage. Photo by Imeña Valdes.

Monarch butterflies need help, and a little bit of milkweed goes a long way

Birds-of-paradise in the Field Museum’s collections: an example of a tropical bird with brightly-colored, iridescent feathers. © Kate Golembiewski, Field Museum.

The ancestor of all modern birds probably had iridescent feathers

Ancient Temple and Theater Discovered in Peru

Giant salamander-like creature was a top predator in the ice age before the dinosaurs

Fossil Grapes

Sixty-million-year-old grape seeds reveal how the death of the dinosaurs may have paved the way for grapes to spread

Rewriting the armadillo family tree: a new species, plus a name change for the state mammal of Texas

Field Museum Women's Board Elects First African American President

One in a million” blue-eyed cicada joins the Field Museum’s research collections

Left: A Cicada Parade-a is emerging at the Field Museum, part of a public art project done in collaboration with the Insect Asylum to celebrate this year's emergence. © Field Museum Right: Two of the tasty dishes featuring edible insects that will be available at Bug Bites on June 11th in collaboration with Big Star. © Big Star

Field Museum celebrates the cicada emergence with insect-pinning classes, Meet a Scientist events, and a bug-inspired meal at Big Star

This is the Chicago Archaeopteryx—one of only a dozen fossils of this animal ever found.  Scientists will be studying this fossil for years to come.

Field Museum acquires fossil of Archaeopteryx, the earliest known bird

Field Museum’s Thorsten Lumbsch Elected as AAAS Fellow for Scientific Achievements

Illustration showing the fossil skeleton of Imparavis attenboroughi, alongside a reconstruction of the bird in life. © Ville Sinkkonen.

Fossil named “Attenborough’s strange bird” was the first of its kind without teeth

Visitors can standside-by-side with some of the largest animals that inhabit our planet today in this section featuring a 180-degree, high-resolution screen where animations of blue whales, giant squid, and manta rays swim by at true-to-life scales.

Field Museum devela los misterios de las profundidades del océano en su nueva exhibición Océanos nunca antes vistos

Field Museum unveils mysteries of the deep sea in new Unseen Oceans exhibition

Blood is the main ingredient in new Field Museum partnership with local chefs

Left: The flight feathers of Temminck's Lark. Right: The wing of a fossil bird, Confuciusornis. Photos by Yosef Kiat.

The hidden rule for flight feathers— and how it could reveal which dinosaurs could fly

Art and science intersect in display of Audubon’s Birds of America

Field Museum Announces Black History Month Programs

El Field Museum modifica las galerías culturales en respuesta a la actualización de las regulaciones federales

Field Museum Alters Cultural Galleries in Response to Updated Federal Regulations

Field Museum Announces Free Admission Wednesdays for Illinois Residents

World’s smallest “fanged” frogs found in Indonesia

It turns out, this fossil plant is really a fossil baby turtle

Field Museum Receives $20 Million Gift in Memory of Sue Ling Gin, Pioneering Business Leader and Longtime Trustee 

Finding the genes that help kingfishers dive without hurting their brains

Crystals brought back by astronauts show that the Moon is 40 million years older than scientists thought

Newly-discovered “margarita snails” from the Florida Keys are bright lemon-yellow

Survival of the newest: the mammals that survive mass extinctions aren’t as “boring” as scientists thought

3D models of the Mosquito, Leech, and Black Fly will be featured in the Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches exhibition opening at Field Museum on Oct. 27. © Royal Ontario Museum, 2020

New Field Museum Exhibition Allows Visitors to Get Close Look at Bloodfeeding Creatures

Una nueva exposición en el Museo Field permite a los visitantes observar de cerca a criaturas que se alimentan de la sangre

La Escuelita Bombera de Corazon (pictured above during a 2022 event) will return to the Field Museum to perform during Latinx Heritage Month.

Field Museum Hosts Performances, Highlights Scientists for Latinx Heritage Month

Get Your Mystery Objects Identified at the Field Museum

Inflatable Sobek the Spinosaurus, and the Sobek fossil cast, at the Field Museum.

Field Museum Introduces “Sobek” the Spinosaurus after public vote— come celebrate on a river boat tour

Rocky Wirtz, owner of the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team with the Stanley Cup

Statement in Tribute to Rocky Wirtz

“Mind controlling” parasitic worms are missing genes found in every other animal

Field Museum Announces Vote to Name New Spinosaurus

Changing Face of Science exhibition highlights ‘Punk Rock Paleontologist’ at Field Museum

Fossils reveal how ancient birds molted their feathers— 

Exhibit Showcasing How Animals Run, Jump, and Fly Finds Permanent Home at Field Museum

Field Museum Statement on North American Hair Collection

Weevils, long-nosed beetles, are unsung heroes of pollination

The world’s largest predatory dinosaur, and a Dino Fest to celebrate it, are coming to the Field Museum

Fossils of a saber-toothed top predator reveal a scramble for dominance leading up to “the Great Dying”

On the city's lakefront to perform a chant to greet the sunrise, Chicago-based Hula practitioners gather around an `ipu heke, a traditional Hawaiian percussion implement made of two gourds.

Field Museum debuts Chicago’s Legacy Hula the first exhibition to explore the migration of Native Hawaiians to Chicago

Cyrus Tang Foundation awards major grant to Field Museum for creation of Asian history curriculum

New Field Museum exhibition Chicago’s Legacy Hula anchors inaugural  Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Field Museum Hosts Inaugural Arab American Heritage Month Events in Partnership with UIC Arab American Cultural Center

Field Museum joins global effort to inventory natural history collections to spur science and fight climate change

Ants took over the world by following flowering plants out of prehistoric forests

A final present from birds killed in window collisions: poop that reveals their microbiomes

New Field Museum Exhibition Explores Rise of Power in Ancient Europe 

Women’s History Month at Field Museum Highlights Variety of Research

Lasers and chemistry reveal how ancient pottery was made — and how an empire functioned

Field gives conservation award to Guyanese group preserving nature, cultural heritage

My ticket to Pokémon Fossil Museum is for after 4:15pm. Don't you close at 5pm?

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Pokémon trading Archeops card.

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Press Releases

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Field Museum Establishes Endowed Legal Fellowship Honoring Cultural Heritage Law Pioneer Dr. Patty Gerstenblith

Societies around the world have buried their dead at home. Anthropologists want to understand why the practice started, and why it has largely disappeared.

This pinecone-looking animal is the world’s most-trafficked mammal. New analysis of its DNA and a rebuilt family tree could help save it from poaching.

Fossilized babies of ancient crocodile-like predators uproot scientists’ understanding of how animals adapted to the land

New species of dinosaur, a cousin of Velociraptor, probably glided on four “wings” and hunted early birds

Catch the CTA to Pokémon Fossil Museum at the Field Museum

“Feathered dragon” had some of the longest tail feathers ever found on a fossil bird

This newly-discovered blue octopus from the Galápagos Islands could curl up in the palm of your hand

Press Releases

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Field Museum Establishes Endowed Legal Fellowship Honoring Cultural Heritage Law Pioneer Dr. Patty Gerstenblith

Societies around the world have buried their dead at home. Anthropologists want to understand why the practice started, and why it has largely disappeared.

This pinecone-looking animal is the world’s most-trafficked mammal. New analysis of its DNA and a rebuilt family tree could help save it from poaching.

Fossilized babies of ancient crocodile-like predators uproot scientists’ understanding of how animals adapted to the land

New species of dinosaur, a cousin of Velociraptor, probably glided on four “wings” and hunted early birds

Catch the CTA to Pokémon Fossil Museum at the Field Museum

“Feathered dragon” had some of the longest tail feathers ever found on a fossil bird

This newly-discovered blue octopus from the Galápagos Islands could curl up in the palm of your hand