American Museum of Natural History

It’s been 50 years since “Lucy,” a 3.2-million-year-old hominid, became one of the most famous fossils in the world. Her relatively complete skeleton (about 40 percent) gave scientists—and the public—an entirely new window into human evolution. Journey back to 1974 to understand why Lucy’s discovery was such big news, then jump forward to explore how cutting-edge technology has radically expanded the study of human evolution from then to now. Museum Curators Ashley Hammond, Rob DeSalle, and Ian Tattersall break down what we learned from Lucy (known as Dinknesh in Ethiopia) and other fossils of her species, Australopithecus afarensis. They explore the importance of casts—exact replicas of fossils, including the cast of Lucy on view in the Museum’s Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins—and discuss how new technologies like micro-CT scanning, ancient DNA analysis, and proteomics have unlocked new possibilities for analyzing fossils. #LucyFossil #HumanEvolution #Australopithecusafarensis #Dinknesh *** Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=AMNHOrg Check out our full video catalog: http://www.youtube.com/user/AMNHorg This video and all media incorporated herein (including text, images, and audio) are the property of the American Museum of Natural History or its licensors, all rights reserved. The Museum has made this video available for your personal, educational use. You may not use this video, or any part of it, for commercial purposes, nor may you reproduce, distribute, publish, prepare derivative works from, or publicly display it without the prior written consent of the Museum. © American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY

Learn about the science behind fall foliage with Daniel Hooper, a postdoctoral fellow at the Museum. The next time you’re out leaf peeping or bird watching, give thought to carotenoids—the incredible pigments that make our worlds a little rosier. #didyouknow

“This is a profile of the Haudenosaunee, by the Haudenosaunee, speaking from the present,” says filmmaker Caleb G. Abrams (Seneca, Wolf Clan) about this film, which he produced in collaboration with the Museum in 2024. Abrams and his team spoke with citizens of the Haudenosaunee (ho-dee-no-SHOW-nee) Confederacy’s six nations—the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora—whose homelands include much of present-day New York State. This film explores vital parts of Haudenosaunee life today: the continuation of traditional government structures, the revitalization of languages after decades of repressive policies by the United States and Canada, the role of lacrosse as an expression of sovereignty on the world stage, and the sowing of seeds of knowledge and hope for future generations. Haudenosaunee: People of the Longhouse is supported by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation. #Haudenosaunee #Lacrosse #nativeamerican Credits: Writer, Director, Producer Caleb Abrams (Seneca, Wolf Clan) Executive Producer Eugenia Levenson Director of Photography Tucker Kohnen Editor Lisa Rifkind Associate Producers Nathan Abrams (Seneca, Wolf Clan) Katsi’tsonni Fox (Mohawk, Bear Clan) Ruchatneet Printup (Tuscarora, Turtle Clan) Karen Taber Story Consultant Marissa Corwin Manitowabi (Seneca, Deer Clan) Drone Pilot Jaiden Mitchell (Mohawk, Bear Clan) Audio Recordists John V. Davis Benjamin Jura Graphics and Animation Lee Stevens Colorist and Sound Mixer Erin Chapman Additional Video Provided by: Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse Music “Women’s Dance”, “Robin Dance”, “Smoke Dance”, and “Stick Dance” performed by Cold Spring Singers: Justin Cook (Seneca, Turtle Clan), Chandler Cooper (Onondaga, Heron Clan), and Alan Dowdy (Tuscarora, Turtle Clan) “Haudenosaunee” by Bear Fox (Mohawk, Wolf Clan) Special Thanks Bruce Abrams Iotsi’tsakéhte Abrams Reesa Abrams Renee Abrams Rorhen’s Abrams Kristiana Ferguson Hayden Haynes Barbara Lynn Hill Chad Hill, Sr. Ashley Isaac Nelson Jock Larry King Steevi King Andrew Lazore Jodi Lynn Maracle Yehwatsironnyons Maracle-Hill Onkwe Farms Scott Sackett Seneca-Iroquois National Museum Vince Schiffert Randee Spruce *** Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=AMNHOrg Check out our full video catalog: http://www.youtube.com/user/AMNHorg This video and all media incorporated herein (including text, images, and audio) are the property of the American Museum of Natural History or its licensors, all rights reserved. The Museum has made this video available for your personal, educational use. You may not use this video, or any part of it, for commercial purposes, nor may you reproduce, distribute, publish, prepare derivative works from, or publicly display it without the prior written consent of the Museum. © American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY

When the Hayden Planetarium opened in October 1935, it was only the fourth planetarium in the United States. Nearly a century later, the Museum is still bringing audiences the latest science about our cosmos. Watch how Museum staff keep the planet models clean! #cleaning

“This is a profile of the Haudenosaunee, by the Haudenosaunee, speaking from the present,” says filmmaker Caleb G. Abrams (Seneca, Wolf Clan) about this film, which he produced in collaboration with the Museum in 2024. Abrams and his team spoke with citizens of the Haudenosaunee (ho-dee-no-SHOW-nee) Confederacy’s six nations—the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora—whose homelands include much of present-day New York State. This film explores vital parts of Haudenosaunee life today: the continuation of traditional government structures, the revitalization of languages after decades of repressive policies by the United States and Canada, the role of lacrosse as an expression of sovereignty on the world stage, and the sowing of seeds of knowledge and hope for future generations. Haudenosaunee: People of the Longhouse is supported by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation. #Haudenosaunee #IndigenousPeoplesDay #lacrosse Credits: Writer, Director, Producer Caleb Abrams (Seneca, Wolf Clan) Executive Producer Eugenia Levenson Director of Photography Tucker Kohnen Editor Lisa Rifkind Associate Producers Nathan Abrams (Seneca, Wolf Clan) Katsi’tsonni Fox (Mohawk, Bear Clan) Ruchatneet Printup (Tuscarora, Turtle Clan) Karen Taber Story Consultant Marissa Corwin Manitowabi (Seneca, Deer Clan) Drone Pilot Jaiden Mitchell (Mohawk, Bear Clan) Audio Recordists John V. Davis Benjamin Jura Graphics and Animation Lee Stevens Colorist and Sound Mixer Erin Chapman Music “Women’s Dance”, “Robin Dance”, “Smoke Dance”, and “Stick Dance” performed by Cold Spring Singers: Justin Cook (Seneca, Turtle Clan), Chandler Cooper (Onondaga, Heron Clan), and Alan Dowdy (Tuscarora, Turtle Clan) “Haudenosaunee” by Bear Fox (Mohawk, Wolf Clan) Special Thanks Bruce Abrams Iotsi’tsakéhte Abrams Reesa Abrams Renee Abrams Rorhen’s Abrams Kristiana Ferguson Hayden Haynes Barbara Lynn Hill Chad Hill, Sr. Ashley Isaac Nelson Jock Larry King Steevi King Andrew Lazore Jodi Lynn Maracle Yehwatsironnyons Maracle-Hill Onkwe Farms Scott Sackett Seneca-Iroquois National Museum Vince Schiffert Randee Spruce *** Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=AMNHOrg Check out our full video catalog: http://www.youtube.com/user/AMNHorg This video and all media incorporated herein (including text, images, and audio) are the property of the American Museum of Natural History or its licensors, all rights reserved. The Museum has made this video available for your personal, educational use. You may not use this video, or any part of it, for commercial purposes, nor may you reproduce, distribute, publish, prepare derivative works from, or publicly display it without the prior written consent of the Museum. © American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY

What are the different types of dinosaurs found in the dinosaur family tree? What makes these ancient reptiles different from the lizards and snakes we see today? And what features do they share with the living dinosaurs—birds? #paleontology #dinosaur #evolution Sure, a Stegosaurus looks different from a T.rex, but how does a paleontologist figure out how to classify them? In this video, Macauley Curator Roger Benson from the Division of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History introduces the three major groups of dinosaurs—the ornithischians, the sauropodomorphs, and the theropods—and the differences between a dinosaur and a modern lizard. He also names a few ancient animals that aren’t dinosaurs at all–some of them may surprise you!