Fifty-five million years ago, a group of hoofed mammals began a slow move from shore to sea, in time evolving a set of extraordinary features to thrive in their new environment. Today’s whales share many anatomical traits with other mammals, but the unique adaptations of species such as sperm whales illustrate how organisms can transform over time as they carve out their place on the planet.

Museum postdoctoral researcher Mary Blair recently traveled to Vietnam to search for nocturnal primates called slow lorises. Blair is currently writing about the experience on The New York Times’ Scientist at Work: Notes from the Field blog.

For one year, biologist David Haskell watched the same, one-square-meter patch of old growth forest in the mountains of Tennessee. In this podcast, Dr. Haskell shares some of the stories and scientific insights from his book, “The Forest Unseen,” which chronicles his experience of closely observing one small ecosystem.

For an evocative look at a glowing underwater world, come to the Museum to see Reefs Illuminated, set in the remote South Pacific coral reefs of the Solomon Islands, which premieres at 11 am this Sunday, April 14, during the Milstein Science Series: Island Life program. Watch the trailer.

On Saturday, May 11, scientists will attempt to identify your discoveries while showing you some specimens from their own collections.