The permanent Biodiversity exhibition at the National Museum of Natural Sciences offers a comprehensive look into the diverse forms of life on Earth. Visitors can explore over 1,000 specimens, from iconic animals to extinct and endangered species. This extensive exhibit highlights the critical need for wildlife conservation and understanding our natural world. It delves into evolutionary processes and the history of extinctions.
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The permanent 'Biodiversity' exhibition at the National Museum of Natural Sciences aims to raise awareness about the concept, importance, and conservation of biodiversity. It showcases over 1,000 specimens from the museum's collections, including iconic, extinct, and endangered species, presented across three distinct areas.
Opened on March 27th, 2012, the permanent 'Biodiversity' exhibition is located in the Biology wing of the National Museum of Natural Sciences. This extensive exhibit, spanning approximately 1,000 square meters, was developed with contributions from numerous scientists and aims to highlight the concept of biodiversity and the urgent need for its conservation. Visitors can encounter a vast array of specimens from the museum's collections, featuring iconic pieces like the African elephant and a diorama of bee-eaters, alongside unique specimens of extinct species such as the Thylacine and the great auk, and endangered species like the snow leopard and brown bear. The exhibition is structured into three main areas. The first area introduces the concept of biodiversity, its global distribution across biomes, and its manifestation in organismal forms and relationships. It further explores how biodiversity is measured, from genetic to ecosystem levels, drawing from insect and shell collections, and explains the scientific process of classifying and naming life. A transitional space delves into the origins of life and the tree of life. The second area focuses on biodiversity as a product of evolution, detailing natural and sexual selection, the genetic basis of evolution, and the role of fossils, complemented by comparative anatomy displays using skeletons. The final area addresses the history of extinctions, both ancient and human-induced, leading into a Wildlife Conservation section that showcases valuable specimens of extinct species and grapples with contemporary conservation challenges. This section also highlights the research efforts of MNCN scientists aimed at protecting threatened species, featuring examples like the Iberian lynx and the Mhorr gazelle. The exhibition is designed as a permanent, yet dynamic, display, intended to be updated with new discoveries and specimens, including a 21-meter whale skeleton and recently restored items.
Ticket sales are available online via the provided link. The exhibition is part of the museum's permanent displays, suggesting admission may be covered by general museum entry.
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