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71-804: Huaca Prieta was occupied as early as 14,500 BP , long before ceramics were introduced. It consists of a huge mound of ash, stones, textiles, plants and shells, with some burials and constructions. It was first excavated by Junius B. Bird in 1946–1947 who excavated three large test pits in or beside it. The remains, now at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, include many examples of complex textiles made with twining techniques which incorporated intricate designs of mythological humans, condors, snakes and crabs. The many stone artifacts were not fancy—fish net weights, flakes and simple pebble tools; there were no projectile points. In

142-641: A Tyrannosaurus rex cast facing a Triceratops cast. This Triceratops exhibit shows the first accurate dinosaur skeleton in virtual motion, achieved through the use of scanning and digital technology." The collection consists of 46 "complete and important specimens" of dinosaurs. In May 2012, billionaire David H. Koch donated $ 35 million toward the cost of a $ 45 million upgrade to the 30-year-old, 25,000 square feet (2,300 m ) dinosaur hall. The hall closed in April 2014 and reopened in June 2019. In June 2013,

213-646: A marine science center in Ft. Pierce, Florida and field stations in Belize, Alaska, and Kenya. The museum is estimated to hold more than 5000 Native American remains that have not been repatriated. Some of these may belong to the Seminole Tribe of Florida . One collection of nearly a million specimens of birds, reptiles, and mammals kept at the museum has been maintained by the Biological Survey unit of

284-554: A memo drafted by Samper shortly after October 15, 2005, in which Samper said the museum should not "replicate" work by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . A few weeks later, a NOAA climate researcher advised a superior that the delay was due to "the debate within the administration and the science community over the existence and cause of global warming". During the delay, Samper asked high-level officials in other government agencies and departments to review

355-512: A month later the Sant family donated another $ 10 million to endow the director's position. On July 25, 2012, Kirk Johnson , vice president of research and collections at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science , was named Samper's successor effective October 29, 2012. By 2013, as Sant Director, Johnson oversaw a museum with 460 employees and a $ 68 million budget. A four-year strategic plan

426-598: A new building on June 28, 1902. On January 29, 1903, a special committee composed of members of Congress and representatives from the Smithsonian's board of regents published a report asking Congress to fund a much larger structure than originally planned. The regents began considering sites for the new building in March, and by April 12 settled on a site on the north side of B Street NW between 9th and 12th Streets. The D.C. architectural firm of Hornblower & Marshall

497-653: A paleontologist at the National Museum of Natural History, was appointed interim director in June 2002. In January 2003, the Smithsonian announced that Cristián Samper , a Colombian with an M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Harvard University , would become the museum's permanent director on March 31, 2003. Samper (who holds dual citizenship with Colombia and the United States) founded the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute and ran

568-403: A range of shared historical memories which connected Koreans at home and abroad. Personal stories of modern Koreans, as told in their own voices, provide a context to discuss some of the many issues that face the divided country today. Korea's incredible transformation from 'The Hermit Kingdom' to a world power is traced through its impact on the arts, the economy and popular culture. The exhibit

639-658: Is Tibitó , in the mountains of Colombia, which has been carbon dated to 11,740 BP. Monte Verde II in southern Chile, dating 14,000 cal BP or earlier, is also predominantly unifacial. In North America, early unifacial assemblages are quite commonly found along with bifacial assemblages. Such sites as Gault and the nearby Friedkin sites in Texas, Cactus Hill in Virginia, and Paisley Cave in Oregon are notable. All of them are also dated before 14,000 cal BP. Until recently, it

710-469: Is a time scale used mainly in archaeology , geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events occurred relative to the origin of practical radiocarbon dating in the 1950s. Because the "present" time changes, standard practice is to use 1 January 1950 as the commencement date (epoch) of the age scale, with 1950 being labelled as the "standard year". The abbreviation "BP" has been interpreted retrospectively as "Before Physics", which refers to

781-603: Is better known today as the Smithsonian Castle. A formal exhibit hall opened in 1858. The growing collection led to the construction of a new building, the National Museum Building (known today as the Arts and Industries Building ). Covering a then-enormous 2.25 acres (9,100 m ), it was built in just 15 months at a cost of $ 310,000. It opened in March 1881. Congress authorized construction of

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852-801: Is open 364 days a year. With 4.4 million visitors in 2023, it was the third most-visited museum in the United States . Opened in 1910, the museum on the National Mall was one of the first Smithsonian buildings constructed exclusively to hold the national collections and research facilities. The main building has an overall area of 1.5 million square feet (140,000 m ) with 325,000 square feet (30,200 m ) of exhibition and public space and houses over 1,000 employees. The museum's collections contain over 146 million specimens of plants , animals , fossils , minerals , rocks , meteorites , human remains, and human cultural artifacts ,

923-489: Is sometimes used for dates established by means other than radiocarbon dating, such as stratigraphy . This usage differs from the recommendation by van der Plicht & Hogg, followed by the Quaternary Science Reviews , both of which requested that publications should use the unit "a" (for "annum", Latin for "year") and reserve the term "BP" for radiocarbon estimations. Some archaeologists use

994-523: Is the earliest maize discovered so far in South America. According to archaeologist Tom D. Dillehay , several varieties of early corn have been discovered here. "Most notably, Dillehay’s team found the world’s earliest-known collection of corn macroremains (e.g., stalks and cobs), which included all early varieties of the plant—ceremonial popcorn, corn used for chicha beer, flour corn, and corn for foraging animals." This suggests that Huaca Prieta

1065-590: The " Homo " genus name. One species that can be found in this gallery is the Homo heidelbergensis , which lived 200,000–700,000 years ago. In addition, there is a female skull from Homo floresiensis , a human species that possibly only went extinct just 17,000 years ago. The exhibit includes an interactive human family tree that follows six million years of evolution, and a "Changing the World" gallery that focuses on issues surrounding climate change and humans' impact on

1136-641: The 2013 federal government shutdown , the fossil did not arrive in Washington, D.C. Smithsonian officials said it remained in storage in Montana, and would not arrive at the Smithsonian until late spring 2014. Packed up in 16 crates, the T. rex , named "Nation's T. rex" by the Smithsonian, traveled from the Museum of the Rockies and arrived at the National Museum of Natural History on April 15, 2014. The T. rex

1207-515: The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana (which helped excavate the fossil). The "Wankel rex" (whose skeleton is 85 percent complete) was to be unveiled at the Museum of Natural History on National Fossil Day, October 16, 2013, and was supposed to be on display until the dinosaur hall exhibit closed for renovation in the spring of 2014. The 35-foot (11 m) long skeleton is the centerpiece of

1278-620: The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute after 2001. Smithsonian officials said Samper's administrative experience proved critical in his appointment. Under Samper's direction, the museum opened the $ 100 million Behring Hall of Mammals in November 2003, received $ 60 million in 2004 for the Sant Hall of Oceans, and received a $ 1 million gift from Tiffany & Co. for the purchase of precious gems for

1349-502: The U.S. Geological Survey . This division had started in 1885 as an economic ornithology unit of the Agriculture Department. Clarence Birdseye and Clinton Hart Merriam had worked in this organization. As of February 2018, the unit's funding is planned to be cut, and it is not clear what would happen to the collection. The National Gem and Mineral Collection is one of the most significant collections of its kind in

1420-678: The 2 million cultural artifacts, 400,000 are photographs housed in the National Anthropological Archives . Through off-site active loan and exchange programs, the museum's collections can be accessed. As a result, 3.5 million specimens are out on loan every year. The rest of the collections not on display are stored in the non-public research areas of the museum and at the Museum Support Center , located in Suitland, Maryland. Other facilities include

1491-610: The Bush administration". The changes were discussed as early as mid-August 2005, and Dr. Waleed Abdalati , manager of NASA's Cryospheric Sciences Program, noted at the time that "There was some discussion of the political sensitivities of the exhibit." Although the exhibit was due to open in October 2005, the Post reported that Samper ordered a six-month delay to allow for even further changes. The newspaper also reported that it had obtained

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1562-686: The Guañape, Early Cupisnique and Cupisnique cultures. The last is linked to the highland Chavín culture . A large tsunami damaged both mounds leaving a thick layer of cobblestones just north of the preceramic mound, at about 850 BCE, between the two Cupisnique phases. The end of Huaca Prieta's occupation came gradually. It fell into disuse as the economy changed to being more agriculture-based, and its ceremonial significance diminished. Other nearby mounds supplanted Huaca Prieta in importance, such as Paredones and El Brujo. The earliest occupational levels of Huaca Prieta have been examined in 2017. These are

1633-561: The Museum of Natural History on March 29. In May 2007, Robert Sullivan, the former associate director in charge of exhibitions at the National Museum of Natural History, charged that Samper and Smithsonian Undersecretary for Science David Evans (Samper's supervisor) ordered "last minute" changes in the exhibit "Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely" to tone down the role of human beings in the discussion of global warming , and to make global warming seem more uncertain than originally depicted. Samper denied that he knew of any scientific objections to

1704-501: The Museum of Natural History. Some of the most important donors, besides Hooker, are Washington Roebling , the man who built the Brooklyn Bridge , who gave 16,000 specimens to the collection; Frederick A. Canfield , who donated 9,000 specimens to the collection; and Isaac Lea , who donated the basis of the museum's collection of 1312 gems and minerals. The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins opened on March 17, 2010, marking

1775-619: The National Gem Collection. On March 25, 2007, Lawrence M. Small , Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and the organization's highest-ranking appointed official, resigned abruptly after public reports of lavish spending. On March 27, 2007, Samper was appointed Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian. Paul G. Risser , former chancellor of the University of Oklahoma , was named acting director of

1846-469: The National Museum of Natural History had 11 permanent and acting directors. The directors included: Richard S. Fiske (1980-1985); James C. Tyler (acting, 1985 and 1988); and Robert S. Hoffmann (1985-1988). Frank Talbot , ichthyologist and former director of the Australian Museum and California Academy of Sciences , served as director from 1989 until 1994. He was the first (and as of 2024

1917-750: The Siches area (in north Peru, close to the Ecuador border), share similar developments as Huaca Prieta. The Itaparica tradition in central-northwestern Brazil, dated between 11,000 and 10,000 BP, is believed to be totally unifacial. It is associated with a rapid population density increase in Brazil at that time. The San Dieguito complex of Southern California, the Southwestern United States , and northwestern Mexico (as early as 10,200 BP) also featured predominantly unifaces. Also relevant

1988-498: The Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents (which had final say on accepting the donation) questioned whether the donation was a conflict of interest . Before the board could consider the donation, the donor withdrew the offer. Risser resigned as acting director of the museum on January 22, 2008, in order to return to his position at the University of Oklahoma. No new acting director was named at that time. Six weeks later,

2059-615: The Smithsonian obtained a 50-year lease on a T. rex fossil skeleton owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers . It is the first T. rex skeleton to be displayed at the museum, which until now has only had the cast of a skull. The specimen, known as the "Wankel" or "Devil" rex , was found on Corps-owned land in the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in Montana in 1988. It has since been on display at

2130-589: The Smithsonian regents chose Georgia Tech president G. Wayne Clough as the new Secretary. Samper stepped down to return to his position as Director of the National Museum of Natural History. In June 2008, the Victoria and Roger Sant family donated $ 15 million to endow the new Ocean Hall at the museum. The museum celebrated the 50th anniversary of its acquisition of the Hope Diamond in August 2009 by giving

2201-906: The center of the hall and a male displayed off to the side, an adult coelenterate , and a Basilosaurus . The museum also provides the Smithsonian Ocean Portal , a complementary web site that provides regularly updated, original content from the museum's research, collections, and Sant Ocean Hall as well as content provided by more than 20 collaborating organizations, including Archive, Census of Marine Life, Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Encyclopedia of Life, INDUCT, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, National Geographic, NOAA, New England Aquarium, Ocean Conservancy , Oceania, Pew Charitable Trusts, Sea Web, Save Our Seas, Scrips Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, World Heritage Marine Programmer. This exhibit and associated website "examines

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2272-591: The changes, and said that no political pressure had been applied to the Smithsonian to make the changes. In November 2007, The Washington Post reported that an interagency group of scientists from the Department of the Interior , NASA , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Science Foundation believed that, despite Samper's denial, the museum "acted to avoid criticism from congressional appropriators and global-warming skeptics in

2343-435: The dinosaur hall since it re-opened in 2019. The Museum of the Rockies (which did not own the skeleton but was the repository for it) has about a dozen T. rex specimens, including one which is eighty percent complete. Only about six museums in the United States have a T. rex skeleton. The Museum of the Rockies is a Smithsonian affiliate museum, and had long promised to find a T. rex for the Smithsonian to display. Due to

2414-433: The diversity, dynamism, and global influence of Africa's peoples and cultures over time in the realms of family, work, community, and the natural environment." The Butterflies + Plants is a live butterfly pavilion which allows "visitors to observe the many ways in which butterflies and other animals have evolved, adapted, and diversified together with their plant partners over tens of millions of years." The exhibit

2485-434: The exhibit displayed a scientific certainty that did not exist, and expressed his belief that the museum should present evidence on both sides and let the public make up its own mind. The issue became more heated after the press reported that Samper gave permission for the museum to accept a $ 5 million donation from American Petroleum Institute that would support the museum's soon-to-be-opened Hall of Oceans. Two members of

2556-476: The exponential decay relation and the "Libby half-life" 5568 a. The ages are expressed in years before present (BP) where "present" is defined as AD 1950. The year 1950 was chosen because it was the standard astronomical epoch at that time. It also marked the publication of the first radiocarbon dates in December 1949, and 1950 also antedates large-scale atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons , which altered

2627-498: The gemstone its own exhibit and a new setting. In March 2010, the museum opened its $ 21 million human evolution hall. In January 2012, Samper said he was stepping down from the National Museum of Natural History to become president and chief executive officer of the Wildlife Conservation Society . Two months later, the museum announced it had received a $ 35 million gift to renovate its dinosaur hall, and

2698-480: The global ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 . Dates determined using radiocarbon dating come as two kinds: uncalibrated (also called Libby or raw ) and calibrated (also called Cambridge ) dates. Uncalibrated radiocarbon dates should be clearly noted as such by "uncalibrated years BP", because they are not identical to calendar dates. This has to do with the fact that the level of atmospheric radiocarbon ( carbon-14 or C) has not been strictly constant during

2769-596: The largest collection of vertebrate specimens in the world, nearly twice the size of the next largest mammal collections, including historically important collections from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its collection was initiated by C. Hart Merriam and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (later the Department of the Interior ), which expanded it in the 1890s-1930s. The O. Orkin Insect Zoo features live insects and exhibits about insects and entomologists . Different habitats have been created to show

2840-496: The largest natural history collection in the world. It is also home to about 185 professional natural history scientists —the largest group of scientists dedicated to the study of natural and cultural history in the world. The United States National Museum was founded in 1846 as part of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum was initially housed in the Smithsonian Institution Building , which

2911-477: The levels dated to 15,000-8000 BP. They indicate only an occasional and intermittent human presence before the ceremonial mound was built. The stone artifacts are characterised by minimally worked unifacial stone tools . Such tools are also characteristic of some other similarly dated sites in South America. The absence of fishhooks and harpoons has also been noted at these levels. It is likely that those early occupants engaged primarily in simple food gathering along

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2982-743: The lowercase letters bp , bc and ad as terminology for uncalibrated dates for these eras. The Centre for Ice and Climate at the University of Copenhagen instead uses the unambiguous "b2k", for "years before 2000 AD", often in combination with the Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05) time scale. Some authors who use the YBP dating format also use "YAP" ("years after present") to denote years after 1950. SI prefix multipliers may be used to express larger periods of time, e.g. ka BP (thousand years BP), Ma BP (million years BP) and many others . Radiocarbon dating

3053-403: The museum's 100th anniversary. The hall is named for David H. Koch , who contributed $ 15 million to the $ 20.7 million exhibit. The Hall is "dedicated to the discovery and understanding of human origins," and occupies 15,000 square feet (1,400 m ) of exhibit space. This exhibit includes 76 humans skulls, each of a different species, eons apart. Each of these species is a human, signified by

3124-516: The name (standard codes are used) of the laboratory concerned, and other information such as confidence levels, because of differences between the methods used by different laboratories and changes in calibrating methods. Conversion from Gregorian calendar years to Before Present years is by starting with the 1950-01-01 epoch of the Gregorian calendar and increasing the BP year count with each year into

3195-439: The only) Australian to ever be appointed to this role. Two acting directors (Donald J. Ortner, 1994-1996, and David L. Pawson in 1996) served before Robert W. Fri was named the museum's director in 1996. One of the largest donations in Smithsonian history was made during Fri's tenure. Kenneth E. Behring donated $ 20 million in 1997 to modernize the museum. Fri resigned in 2001 after disagreeing with Smithsonian leadership over

3266-487: The over 80 million specimens in the museum's total collection, the largest in the world. The hall is named for the Roger Sant family, who donated $ 15 million to endow the new hall and other related programs. The collection includes: a North Atlantic right whale , a giant Lion's mane jellyfish model, a 1,500-US-gallon (5,700 L) aquarium containing live marine fish and corals, one female giant squid displayed in

3337-495: The past by highlighting enduring features of Korean culture which have influence and resonance today. The exhibit used the Smithsonian ceramics collection as well as a rich selection of photographs, ritual objects and traditional Korean carpentry to communicate and connect to both the local Korean community and an international audience. Traditional art forms, such as ceramics and calligraphy, along with mythological figures, language, large feature photographs and illustrations spoke to

3408-634: The past from that Gregorian date. For example, 1000 BP corresponds to 950 AD, 1949 BP corresponds to 1 AD, 1950 BP corresponds to 1 BC, 2000 BP corresponds to 51 BC. National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History ( NMNH ) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution , located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. , United States. It has free admission and

3479-402: The reorganization of the museum's scientific research programs. J. Dennis O'Connor , provost of the Smithsonian Institution (where he oversaw all science and research programs) was named acting director of the museum on July 25, 2001. Eight months later, O'Conner resigned to become the vice president of research and dean of the graduate school at the University of Maryland . Douglas Erwin ,

3550-608: The script for the exhibit, ordered his museum staff to make additional changes, and rearranged the sequence of the exhibit panels so that the discussion of climate change was not immediately encountered by museum visitors. Shortly before the exhibit opened in April 2006, officials at NOAA and the United States Department of Commerce expressed to their superiors their opinion that the exhibit had been changed to accommodate political concerns. In an interview with The Washington Post in November 2007, Samper said he felt

3621-545: The shoreline, as well as in trapping and clubbing abundant local species of animals. Bifacial stone tools or projectile points were absent in those levels. According to the authors, Several other sites in the Americas featuring only unifacial stone tools at early occupational levels are also known. In particular, the Amotape complex of the northern coast of Peru (9,000-7,100 BCE) is notable. This cultural complex, as well as

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3692-433: The significance of human-caused global warming . The exhibit also provides a complementary web site, which provides diaries and podcasts directly from related fields of research. The companion book, What Does It Mean To Be Human , was written by Richard (Rick) Potts , the curator, and Christopher Sloan. The exhibit was designed by Reich + Petch. The Hall of Dinosaurs has fossilized skeletons and cast models, including

3763-596: The span of time that can be radiocarbon-dated. Uncalibrated radiocarbon ages can be converted to calendar dates by calibration curves based on comparison of raw radiocarbon dates of samples independently dated by other methods, such as dendrochronology (dating based on tree growth-rings) and stratigraphy (dating based on sediment layers in mud or sedimentary rock). Such calibrated dates are expressed as cal BP, where "cal" indicates "calibrated years", or "calendar years", before 1950. Many scholarly and scientific journals require that published calibrated results be accompanied by

3834-399: The time before nuclear weapons testing artificially altered the proportion of the carbon isotopes in the atmosphere, which scientists must account for. In a convention that is not always observed, many sources restrict the use of BP dates to those produced with radiocarbon dating; the alternative notation "RCYBP" stands for the explicit "radio carbon years before present". The BP scale

3905-401: The type of insects that live in different environments and how they have adapted to a freshwater pond , house, mangrove swamp , desert , and rain forest . The zoo is sponsored by Orkin , a pest control company. The Sant Ocean Hall opened on September 27, 2008, and is the largest renovation of the museum since it opened in 1910. The hall includes 674 marine specimens and models drawn from

3976-477: The upper part of the mound there were many underground structures of unknown function, some with burials. They were made of cobblestones cemented with an ash-water mixture. The inhabitants fished, gathered shellfish, and grew fruit, gourds, squash, peppers, beans, tubers and, importantly, cotton. There is a low mound 70–170 m to the north (now called Monticulo Cupisnique) where Bird excavated three test pits. He found many ruins and much refuse, including ceramics of

4047-458: The western world including northern Iraq, ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome and the recent discovery of the Iceman , a Copper Age mummy found in an Italian glacier ." This exhibit was closed on September 26, 2010. The Korea Gallery was a special showcase to celebrate Korean traditions and examine its unique influence and complex role in the world today. The exhibit expressed the continuity of

4118-581: The world. The Hall's core concept idea is "What Does It Mean To Be Human", and focuses on milestones of human evolution such as walking upright , bigger brains, and symbolic thought. Also covered is the Smithsonian's significant research on the geological and climate changes which occurred in East Africa during significant periods of Human Evolution. The exhibit highlights an actual fossil Neanderthal and replicas created by famed paleoartist, John Gurche . The exhibit has been criticized for downplaying

4189-425: The world. The Smithsonian gives an approximate number for artifacts and specimens of 146 million. More specifically, the collections include 30 million insects, 4.5 million plants preserved in the Museum's herbarium, and 7 million fish stored in liquid-filled jars. The National Collection of Amphibians and Reptiles has more than tripled from 190,000 specimen records 1970 to over 580,000 specimen records in 2020. Of

4260-610: The world. The collection includes some of the most famous pieces of gems and minerals, including the Hope Diamond and the Star of Asia (one of the largest sapphires in the world), and the Carmen Lúcia Ruby, one of the largest and most valuable Burmese rubies in the world. The collection is displayed in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals, one of the many galleries in

4331-416: The world. There are currently over 15,000 individual gems in the collection, as well as 350,000 minerals and 300,000 samples of rock and ore specimens. Additionally, the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection houses approximately 45,000 meteorite specimens, including examples of every known type of meteorite, and is considered to be one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in

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4402-418: Was an important hub in a large trading network reaching all the way to Mexico, where domesticated corn originated. A team of scientists excavating Huaca Prieta between 2007 and 2013 also discovered evidence of the avocado dating back perhaps 15,000 years. It had been thought previously that the avocado originated in the area of Puebla, Mexico, some 8,000 years ago. In 2016, 6000-year-old dyed cotton fabric

4473-524: Was believed that maize was introduced to the region rather late, after the tsunami. In 2012, it was reported that corncobs found at two ancient sites in Peru (Paredones and Huaca Prieta) may date from as early as 4700   BCE. This suggests that people living along the coast of northern Peru were already eating corn by that time. These results were reported by Dolores Piperno , and other scientists from Washington's National Museum of Natural History . This

4544-402: Was chosen to design the structure. Testing of the soil for the foundations was set for July 1903, with construction expected to take three years. The Natural History Building (as the National Museum of Natural History was originally known) opened its doors to the public on March 17, 1910, in order to provide the Smithsonian Institution with more space for collections and research. The building

4615-665: Was designed by Reich + Petch. This exhibit displays a "variety of vertebrate skeletons grouped by their evolutionary relationships." Opened since 2013, this exhibit is the museum's interactive and educational area. Using microscopes and touch screens, the area hosts various interactive activities and puzzles visitors can experience and contains a "collection zone" that houses over 6000 different specimens and artifacts visitors are able personally handle. The area also hosts various events such as allowing visitors to meet and discuss with Smithsonian scientists and hosting school groups. "This hall explores some examples from various cultures in

4686-706: Was discovered at the Preceramic site of Huaca Prieta. This marks the earliest recorded use of cotton worldwide. Gossypium barbadense may have been domesticated in the region. Analysis of the pigment used on the cloth identified it as indigotin, an indigoid dye. This marks the earliest recorded use of indigo dye to date, predating the use of indigo in Egypt's Fifth Dynasty by about 1,500 years. 7°55′26″S 79°18′25″W  /  7.924°S 79.307°W  / -7.924; -79.307 Before Present Before Present ( BP ) or " years before present ( YBP )"

4757-708: Was displayed in the Rex Room, while specialists performed a conservation assessment and the Smithsonian Digitization Program scanned each bone, to create a 3-D model for research. The Nation's T. rex is the centerpiece of the new fossil hall, which opened in 2019. The Behring Hall of Mammals was designed by Reich + Petch. The mammal specimens are presented as works of modern art within minimal environmentals. Visitors discover mammal's evolutionary adaptions to hugely diverse contexts, and ultimately discover that they too are mammals. The museum has

4828-446: Was first used in 1949. Beginning in 1954, metrologists established 1950 as the origin year for the BP scale for use with radiocarbon dating, using a 1950-based reference sample of oxalic acid . According to scientist A. Currie Lloyd: The problem was tackled by the international radiocarbon community in the late 1950s, in cooperation with the U.S. National Bureau of Standards . A large quantity of contemporary oxalic acid dihydrate

4899-497: Was not fully completed until June 1911. The structure cost $ 3.5 million (about $ 85 million in inflation-adjusted 2012) dollars. The Neoclassical style building was the first structure constructed on the north side of the National Mall as part of the 1901 McMillan Commission plan. In addition to the Smithsonian's natural history collection, it also housed the American history, art, and cultural collections. Between 1981 and 2003,

4970-525: Was prepared as NBS Standard Reference Material (SRM) 4990B. Its C concentration was about 5% above what was believed to be the natural level, so the standard for radiocarbon dating was defined as 0.95 times the C concentration of this material, adjusted to a C reference value of −19 per mil (PDB). This value is defined as "modern carbon" referenced to AD 1950. Radiocarbon measurements are compared to this modern carbon value, and expressed as "fraction of modern" (fM). "Radiocarbon ages" are calculated from fM using

5041-516: Was released in 2021. The museum's Mall building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023. Research in the museum is divided into seven departments: anthropology , botany , entomology , invertebrate zoology , mineral sciences , paleobiology , vertebrate zoology . The NMNH represents 90% of the Smithsonian Institution's collections and forms one of the largest, most comprehensive natural history collection in

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