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Dinosaurs probably dined upon a variety of fruits and seeds
Recent research appearing in the journal Science overturns a long-held idea that flowering plants didn’t evolve large fruits and seeds until after the mass extinction of dinosaurs about 66 million years ago, when Earth was smacked by a giant asteroid.
KU Natural History Museum’s exhibit celebrates global biodiversity during international soccer tournament
The University of Kansas Natural History Museum has launched a temporary exhibit titled “Collections from Around the World,” showcasing biological specimens from eight research divisions within the Biodiversity Institute.
KU Ichthyology collection reaches milestone with Missouri Department of Conservation partnership
The University of Kansas Ichthyology Division at the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum has reached a milestone of more than 45,000 cataloged lots, aided by a substantial collection from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
NSF digitization project opens access to millions of African plant specimens
A National Science Foundation grant led by Town Peterson, University Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and senior curator with the KU Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute, is uniting 21 U.S. herbaria, biodiversity data specialists and African researchers to create one of the largest digital resources of tropical African seed plants ever assembled.
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Thu, 07/09/2026
Recent research appearing in the journal Science overturns a long-held idea that flowering plants didn’t evolve large fruits and seeds until after the mass extinction of dinosaurs about 66 million years ago, when Earth was smacked by a giant asteroid.
Fri, 05/15/2026
The University of Kansas Natural History Museum has launched a temporary exhibit titled “Collections from Around the World,” showcasing biological specimens from eight research divisions within the Biodiversity Institute.
Fri, 05/01/2026
The University of Kansas Ichthyology Division at the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum has reached a milestone of more than 45,000 cataloged lots, aided by a substantial collection from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Mon, 04/20/2026
A National Science Foundation grant led by Town Peterson, University Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and senior curator with the KU Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute, is uniting 21 U.S. herbaria, biodiversity data specialists and African researchers to create one of the largest digital resources of tropical African seed plants ever assembled.
Wed, 04/15/2026
Twenty-nine undergraduate and postbaccalaureate scholars supported by research training programs at Haskell Indian Nations University and KU will present posters of their research at the 26th annual Haskell-KU Student Research Symposium.
Wed, 04/08/2026
Variously horrific- or alien-looking, many female anglerfishes sport long, protruding lures used for enticing prey or signaling during mating. Now, research from the University of Kansas is giving new detail to the evolutionary history of anglerfishes’ lures.
Tue, 04/07/2026
KU has 55 graduate programs in the top 50 among public universities — including eight in the top 10 — in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.
Thu, 03/26/2026
Three University of Kansas professors — K. Christopher Beard, Jianming Qiu and Michael S. Wolfe — have been elected as 2025 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellows, a distinct honor within the scientific community.
Mon, 02/23/2026
Congratulations to EBB PhD student, Ben Wiens, who was awarded KU’s Graduate Student Distinguished Service Award. The Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Service was established in 1983 and is presented annually to a graduate student who has demonstrated a genuine commitment to serving the University of Kansas while maintaining a high level of academic achievement.
Fri, 02/13/2026
The KU Natural History Museum has a full lineup of science-themed public events this spring for both youth and adults. Programs will cover a range of topics, including STEM activities related to legendary scientists and their discoveries, as well as public presentations on digitizing natural history collections and paleontology fieldwork in Turkey.