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Artistic reconstruction of the Natural History main hall with a dinosaur skeleton and display cases

MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The Earth has a long memory.

Explore 18 exhibits across three galleries. Choose a specimen to read its full museum label, evidence, limits, and source.

Gallery images are artistic reconstructions of representative subjects. These are educational displays, not photographs of accessioned Eftsona specimens; no collection provenance is claimed.

GALLERY 01 · Fossils & ancient life

Deep Time

Explore remains and traces that survived the passage from living world to stone.

Choose an exhibit below to see its complete label.

NH · 001AmmoniteMarine shell fossil NH · 002TrilobiteArthropod body fossil NH · 003Predator toothDinosaur tooth fossil NH · 004TrackwayTrace fossil NH · 005Petrified woodFossilized plant tissue NH · 006CrinoidEchinoderm fossil

EXHIBIT NH · 001 / 018

Ammonite

The coiled shell is divided into chambers. Its outer shape is the most visible part of the animal’s record.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Marine shell fossil
Time represented: Mesozoic Era
Typical setting: Ancient seas
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Ammonites were cephalopods, relatives of today’s squid and octopuses. Different ammonite forms appear in different rock layers, which helps geologists compare those layers.

How to investigate it

Compare shell ornament, chamber pattern, and the surrounding rock. A specific species or age cannot be assigned to this illustration.

What the display cannot establish

A shell does not directly preserve the animal’s color, behavior, or complete soft anatomy.

Look closer: How could the same kind of marine fossil occur far inland?

Further reading: U.S. Geological Survey · Fossils, Rocks, and Time ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 002 / 018

Trilobite

A segmented outer skeleton preserves the head, thorax, and tail in recognizable form.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Arthropod body fossil
Time represented: Paleozoic Era
Typical setting: Former seafloors
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Trilobites were diverse marine arthropods. Their hard exoskeletons fossilized more readily than soft tissue. A slab can sometimes preserve a complete individual or a shed exoskeleton.

How to investigate it

Look for repeated segments, compound-eye structures when preserved, and the rock’s depositional setting.

What the display cannot establish

An isolated fossil may not show whether the animal was buried alive or whether the shell was shed.

Look closer: What else in the same layer would help reconstruct its environment?

Further reading: U.S. National Park Service · How Fossils Form ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 003 / 018

Predator tooth

A large, curved, serrated tooth suggests meat-cutting function. The illustration represents a tyrannosaur-type tooth.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Dinosaur tooth fossil
Time represented: Late Cretaceous example
Typical setting: Terrestrial deposits
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Teeth often survive when other parts of a skeleton do not. Their shape and wear help researchers investigate feeding, but identifying an animal from a lone tooth requires comparison and context.

How to investigate it

Compare edge serrations, cross section, wear, and the layer where the tooth was found.

What the display cannot establish

One tooth cannot reveal a complete diet, a specific hunt, or the exact animal without more evidence.

Look closer: What evidence would distinguish scavenging from hunting?

Further reading: Smithsonian · Dinosaurs & Fossils ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 004 / 018

Trackway

A sequence of three-toed impressions records where an animal stepped, not the animal’s bones.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Trace fossil
Time represented: Variable; dinosaur example
Typical setting: Ancient sediment surface
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Wet sediment can hold prints until later deposits bury and preserve them. Multiple tracks may reveal direction, stride, and whether more than one animal crossed the surface.

How to investigate it

Measure print spacing and examine whether the marks are true tracks, undertracks, or erosion features.

What the display cannot establish

A footprint is rarely enough to name a precise species or infer a specific behavior.

Look closer: What can spacing tell you that a single footprint cannot?

Further reading: U.S. National Park Service · About Fossils ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 005 / 018

Petrified wood

Growth-ring and tissue patterns remain visible while minerals replace or fill original spaces.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Fossilized plant tissue
Time represented: Many periods
Typical setting: Buried forest deposits
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Rapid burial and mineral-bearing water can preserve wood structure. This records a plant and the conditions of its burial, though a polished slice alone does not identify a collection site.

How to investigate it

Study cell structure, mineral replacement, and associated sediments when actual material is available.

What the display cannot establish

The attractive colors largely reflect minerals and do not reconstruct the tree’s original colors.

Look closer: What evidence would locate the ancient forest?

Further reading: U.S. National Park Service · How Fossils Form ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 006 / 018

Crinoid

A stalk and feather-like arms show the body plan of a sea lily.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Echinoderm fossil
Time represented: Paleozoic examples
Typical setting: Marine limestone
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Despite their plant-like appearance, crinoids are animals related to sea stars. Their many skeletal plates may occur scattered or articulated in marine deposits.

How to investigate it

Look for stem segments, cup plates, and arm structure, then compare the associated fauna.

What the display cannot establish

The fossil’s posture does not by itself show how the organism moved in a living current.

Look closer: Why might separated stem segments be much more common than a whole animal?

Further reading: U.S. National Park Service · About Fossils ↗

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GALLERY 02 · Rocks, minerals & motion

Changing Earth

Read the material record of deposition, cooling, pressure, and movement.

Choose an exhibit below to see its complete label.

NH · 007Layered sandstoneSedimentary rock NH · 008Vesicular basaltVolcanic rock NH · 009GraniteIntrusive igneous rock NH · 010ObsidianVolcanic glass NH · 011Quartz clusterMineral crystals NH · 012Faulted strataStructural geology model

EXHIBIT NH · 007 / 018

Layered sandstone

Distinct bands record successive episodes of sediment accumulation.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Sedimentary rock
Time represented: Variable age
Typical setting: Former river, beach, or desert deposits
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Sediments settle and later become rock. Differences in grain size, color, or structures can suggest changing water or wind conditions; their order is a relative timeline unless disturbed.

How to investigate it

Trace bedding, grain size, and any cross-bedding before proposing an environment.

What the display cannot establish

A polished cross section alone cannot supply an exact date or a unique origin.

Look closer: What might an abrupt boundary between layers record?

Further reading: U.S. Geological Survey · Fossils, Rocks, and Time ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 008 / 018

Vesicular basalt

Rounded holes formed as gas escaped while molten rock cooled.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Volcanic rock
Time represented: Variable age
Typical setting: Lava flow
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Basalt is a common dark igneous rock. Its texture can record cooling and gas release near or at the surface, though the size and abundance of vesicles vary.

How to investigate it

Examine mineral grains and vesicle shapes; a rock’s context matters as much as its color.

What the display cannot establish

The holes alone do not identify which volcano produced the rock.

Look closer: What would a close comparison with an unpitted basalt reveal?

Further reading: U.S. Geological Survey · Geology Education ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 009 / 018

Granite

Interlocking light and dark mineral crystals are visible to the eye.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Intrusive igneous rock
Time represented: Variable age
Typical setting: Cooled magma underground
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Granite forms as magma cools slowly beneath Earth’s surface, allowing relatively large crystals to grow. Later uplift and erosion can expose the rock at the surface.

How to investigate it

Identify quartz and feldspar alongside darker minerals; test a real specimen rather than color alone.

What the display cannot establish

A specimen without collection context cannot reveal its exact depth or cooling history.

Look closer: Why are some igneous rocks coarse and others fine-grained?

Further reading: U.S. Geological Survey · Geology Education ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 010 / 018

Obsidian

The dark glassy surface breaks with smooth curved fractures and lacks visible crystals.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Volcanic glass
Time represented: Variable age
Typical setting: Rapidly cooled lava
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Obsidian forms when silica-rich lava cools fast enough to prevent substantial crystal growth. Its sharp fractures made it useful as a worked material in many societies.

How to investigate it

Compare its vitreous luster and fracture with other dark rocks.

What the display cannot establish

Appearance alone does not establish source locality or the people who may have used a piece.

Look closer: What cooling conditions might leave little time for crystals to form?

Further reading: U.S. Geological Survey · Geology Education ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 011 / 018

Quartz cluster

Faceted crystals grow together with repeated geometric form.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Mineral crystals
Time represented: Variable age
Typical setting: Mineral-bearing fluids
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Quartz is silicon dioxide. Crystals can develop where dissolved material precipitates into open spaces in rock; a cluster reveals growth conditions, but not automatically an age.

How to investigate it

Observe crystal faces, transparency, hardness, and the rock matrix of a real sample.

What the display cannot establish

Color and clarity are not enough to establish where a crystal formed.

Look closer: How would you tell a natural crystal face from a polished surface?

Further reading: U.S. Geological Survey · Geology Education ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 012 / 018

Faulted strata

The same colored layers appear offset across a break.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Structural geology model
Time represented: Variable age
Typical setting: Deformed crust
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

A fault forms where rock fractures and blocks move relative to each other. Geologists use the displacement of recognizable layers, along with other evidence, to reconstruct motion.

How to investigate it

Match layers across the break and assess the direction of offset. This image is a teaching model, not a sampled outcrop.

What the display cannot establish

One view does not establish the entire history of a fault or predict the next earthquake.

Look closer: Which layers must have formed before movement occurred?

Further reading: U.S. Geological Survey · Geology Education ↗

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GALLERY 03 · Habitats & biodiversity

Living World

Study plants, animals, fungi, and the connections that keep environments functioning.

Choose an exhibit below to see its complete label.

NH · 013Herbarium sheetPreserved plant reference NH · 014PollinationEcological interaction model NH · 015Forest floorSoil & decomposer display NH · 016Woodland webHabitat diorama NH · 017Coral reefMarine habitat model NH · 018PlanktonMicroscopy & water sample

EXHIBIT NH · 013 / 018

Herbarium sheet

Pressed leaves and stems make comparable forms available for later study.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Preserved plant reference
Time represented: Modern collection method
Typical setting: Documented field collection
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

A well-documented herbarium sheet should include an identified plant, a collector, date, and locality. Actual collection records make it possible to revisit identification and compare distribution through time.

How to investigate it

Compare leaf arrangement, veins, flowers, and the specimen label on a real sheet.

What the display cannot establish

This artwork is an illustrative composite and carries no authentic collector or locality record.

Look closer: Why is a label often as important as the preserved plant?

Further reading: Smithsonian · Botany Collections ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 014 / 018

Pollination

A bee visits a flower, where pollen may adhere to its body.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Ecological interaction model
Time represented: Present day
Typical setting: Flowering habitat
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Many flowering plants depend on animal visitors to move pollen among flowers. Visits differ: not every visitor transfers pollen effectively, and plant and pollinator communities vary by place.

How to investigate it

Observe repeated visits, contact with pollen-bearing structures, and later seed formation.

What the display cannot establish

A single still image cannot demonstrate successful pollination.

Look closer: What observation would show that pollen was transferred?

Further reading: Smithsonian · Botany Collections ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 015 / 018

Forest floor

Leaf litter, fungal filaments, roots, and small organisms occupy different layers.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Soil & decomposer display
Time represented: Present day
Typical setting: Woodland soil
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Dead plant material is broken down by fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates. Nutrients return to living systems while soil structure, moisture, and climate influence the pace.

How to investigate it

Separate the roles of decomposers, plant roots, and organisms that fragment litter.

What the display cannot establish

Visible white threads alone cannot identify a fungus or prove a particular exchange with roots.

Look closer: What happens to fallen leaves if decomposition slows?

Further reading: Smithsonian · Botany Collections ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 016 / 018

Woodland web

Plants, herbivores, predators, decomposers, water, and shelter share a scene.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Habitat diorama
Time represented: Present day
Typical setting: Temperate forest
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Energy enters the web through photosynthesis. Relationships are many-to-many: a deer may browse several plants, while other organisms feed, compete, disperse seeds, or recycle remains.

How to investigate it

Follow one possible energy path, then look for alternative paths and missing organisms.

What the display cannot establish

A diorama shows selected relationships, not every species or a complete real ecosystem.

Look closer: Which organisms are missing from the scene but essential to its functioning?

Further reading: Smithsonian · Botany Collections ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 017 / 018

Coral reef

Branching and massive corals create shelter among fishes and other invertebrates.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Marine habitat model
Time represented: Present day
Typical setting: Warm shallow ocean
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Reef-building corals are animals. Their hard structures help create complex habitats; many shallow-water species live with photosynthetic partners. Reefs respond to temperature, water quality, and other pressures.

How to investigate it

Identify the difference between coral animal, skeleton, and resident fishes.

What the display cannot establish

A reef illustration cannot establish the health of a particular real reef.

Look closer: What measurements would show whether a reef is changing?

Further reading: NOAA · Coral Reef Ecosystems ↗

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EXHIBIT NH · 018 / 018

Plankton

A sample can contain drifting microscopic organisms of different forms and sizes.

Display type: Illustrated reconstruction · Microscopy & water sample
Time represented: Present day
Typical setting: Ocean water column
Accession / origin: No physical Eftsona specimen; image is illustrative

What this represents

Plankton includes photosynthetic organisms and animals. They support marine food webs, including animals far larger than themselves; sampling methods can favor some sizes over others.

How to investigate it

Compare forms under magnification and note sample depth, time, and collection method.

What the display cannot establish

One slide cannot represent an entire ocean or identify all organisms without expert examination.

Look closer: How might sampling at night change what is observed?

Further reading: Smithsonian · Sant Ocean Hall ↗

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