We promised you @nhcooper123.bsky.social 's donut plots showing how the specimens in the podcast were split taxonomically. Here they are! With raw numbers in the alt text.

Sad to see the last episode of @perfect-specimen.bsky.social! I loved the lost media tidbits, I was lucky to see 007 loggerhead shrike in person. As a fan of comparatively very small and very big taxa (ISLANDS!), I hope the podcast continues and Josh and Natalie get to use 'COMPARE' as a word soon!

What's been our favourite specimen? | The 'Perfect' Specimen Ep29

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

youtu.be

And here it is, our final episode 😭😭😭 m.youtube.com/watch?is=v0D... We filmed this on the hottest day of the year (so far) so apologies for the sweatiness! Thanks everyone for listening! We had fun and learned loads :)

What's been our favourite specimen? | The 'Perfect' Specimen Ep29

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

m.youtube.com

Time for AWKWARD! Our last proper episode (there will be a Q and A/round up episode in a few weeks). m.youtube.com/watch?v=T41c... with the wonderful Emma Bernard! 🐀🐟🦅🦖🐢🧩

Was Darwin perfect? | The 'Perfect' Specimen Ep28

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

m.youtube.com

Please enjoy my terrible taxidermy as mentioned in this episode… with apologies to Darwin for laughing at his attempts…

The Perfect Specimen@perfect-specimen.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Time for AWKWARD! Our last proper episode (there will be a Q and A/round up episode in a few weeks). m.youtube.com/watch?v=T41c... with the wonderful Emma Bernard! 🐀🐟🦅🦖🐢🧩

Time for AWKWARD! Our last proper episode (there will be a Q and A/round up episode in a few weeks). m.youtube.com/watch?v=T41c... with the wonderful Emma Bernard! 🐀🐟🦅🦖🐢🧩

Was Darwin perfect? | The 'Perfect' Specimen Ep28

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

m.youtube.com

this reads like he is some child-emperor disposing of his ill-suited and scheming viziers

Jessica Elgot@jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Just realised this will be my son’s fifth prime minister and he’s 6.

Happy PRIDE! We've been so excited about this one www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwk1... with the always delightful @thelabandfield.bsky.social. It's a bird special as we recorded it at NHM Tring 🦢 🐦‍⬛ 🦉🦜🦚🦆. And a topic very close to our hearts 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️. With added poetry!

Are homosexual black swans more successful at raising chicks? | The 'Perfect' Specimen Ep27

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

youtube.com

have questions about natural history museums, specimens, or more? Get them in now for the @perfect-specimen.bsky.social podcast Q&A special recording on Wednesday!

The Perfect Specimen@perfect-specimen.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Due to scheduling we will be recording our final Q & A/retrospective episode on Weds, so please send over any Qs by then and we’ll do our best to answer them :)

Due to scheduling we will be recording our final Q & A/retrospective episode on Weds, so please send over any Qs by then and we’ll do our best to answer them :)

Cat Bops Answers to Questions on Box

Alt: Cat Bops Answers to Questions on Box

static.klipy.com

This was so fun, with Winston the swan looming over @joshlukedavis.com in a menacing way. And features two of my absolute favourite stories debunking the "biological sex is simple" myth - trans pheasants and gynandromorphs ❤️. And poetry by @jayhulmepoet.bsky.social! The perfect PRIDE episode. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

The Perfect Specimen@perfect-specimen.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Happy PRIDE! We've been so excited about this one www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwk1... with the always delightful @thelabandfield.bsky.social. It's a bird special as we recorded it at NHM Tring 🦢 🐦‍⬛ 🦉🦜🦚🦆. And a topic very close to our hearts 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️. With added poetry!

If you want to know why I'm giving a black swan named Winston a bit of side-eye, tune into the Pride Month edition of @perfect-specimen.bsky.social! Also ft some other very rainbow characters indeed. (and maybe a cheeky @jayhulmepoet.bsky.social poem)

Dr Alex Bond@thelabandfield.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Can confirm.

I learned from this: The tuatara is the only extant member of its ORDER (Rhynchocephalia), which diverged from other reptiles (Squamata) ~240 Mya. They have slower life histories than chimps, and their mortal enemy is the Polynesian rat. In Zealandia sanctuary, they wear beads for identification.

The Perfect Specimen@perfect-specimen.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Slightly delayed publication of this episode for various reasons means we will have two episodes in back to back weeks! Exciting! This week please enjoy LONELY m.youtube.com/watch?v=uYIe... with the lovely @marcehjones.bsky.social 🐋 🦎 🐢.

Happy PRIDE! We've been so excited about this one www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwk1... with the always delightful @thelabandfield.bsky.social. It's a bird special as we recorded it at NHM Tring 🦢 🐦‍⬛ 🦉🦜🦚🦆. And a topic very close to our hearts 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️. With added poetry!

Are homosexual black swans more successful at raising chicks? | The 'Perfect' Specimen Ep27

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

youtube.com

Slightly delayed publication of this episode for various reasons means we will have two episodes in back to back weeks! Exciting! This week please enjoy LONELY m.youtube.com/watch?v=uYIe... with the lovely @marcehjones.bsky.social 🐋 🦎 🐢.

The whale that inspired a BTS song | The 'Perfect' Specimen Ep26

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

m.youtube.com

Some sad podcast news :(. The final episodes are already recorded except the Q&A but sadly these will be the last episodes in the current format 😭. We’re all very upset to lose Josh from the NHM.

Josh Luke Davis 🏳️‍🌈@joshlukedavis.com · 5mo ago

welp, well this is it not the way I thought things would go, but yesterday was my last day at the Natural History Museum from dino digs to wombat butts, the last eight years have been a blast 💚 onwards!

Yes please do ask us any questions or @joshlukedavis.com will have to suffer through one of my statistics based digressions. Or poetry. You have been warned.

The Perfect Specimen@perfect-specimen.bsky.social · 6mo ago

For episode 29 we’ll be doing a Q&A. Let us know if you have any questions! This will also be the last episode before we go on hiatus 😭 so might be your last chance to ask those burning Qs about specimens, collections, NHM London etc. 2/2

Happy Birthday to Sir David Attenborough! I think it’s fair to say everyone here at the NHM has a story about how he inspired them. He’s also a lovely guy! And we have some specimens named after him. m.youtube.com/watch?v=ToGZ...

Our David Attenborough specimens: Nature, knowledge and a lasting legacy

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

m.youtube.com

We hope you’ve been enjoying our latest episodes! Previous episodes are available here: m.youtube.com/playlist?lis... and also on Spotify, Apple etc. 1/2

The 'Perfect' Specimen - YouTube

Does the perfect museum specimen exist? What’s the squishiest? The most exuberant? Or even the most noxious? We’re taking a look through 80 million specimens...

m.youtube.com

Want to know amazing fun facts about clams, bats and other critters? Check out this episode with @spissatella.bsky.social They surely know their clams 🧪

The Perfect Specimen@perfect-specimen.bsky.social · 6mo ago

What specimens could possibly be MISUNDERSTOOD? Let’s find out! With the amazing @spissatella.bsky.social! m.youtube.com/watch?v=lO1h... Please enjoy the real Megalodon! 🦇 🪰 🦟🐚

What specimens could possibly be MISUNDERSTOOD? Let’s find out! With the amazing @spissatella.bsky.social! m.youtube.com/watch?v=lO1h... Please enjoy the real Megalodon! 🦇 🪰 🦟🐚

Finding this alive is like finding a plesiosaur in your bathtub | The 'Perfect' Specimen Ep25

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

m.youtube.com

We’d really love it if you came! It’s an incredible program but we struggle to advertise for reasons. So if you’re interested in saving the planet please join us! www.nhm.ac.uk/events/gener...

And then Sunday you can enjoy a double dose of me (plus other more exciting people like @flygirlnhm.bsky.social) talking about their UK’s amazing wildlife (11am), and how we’re using collections to investigate global change (2pm free tickets: www.nhm.ac.uk/events/pinne...). Plus more! 3/3

Saturday more events! Including a fascinating session on climate and business. Book tickets here. www.nhm.ac.uk/events/reima.... All FREE. Also some of our amazing PhD students will be in the galleries with specimens talking about their work and how they’re researching the climate crisis. 2/3

Live in/near London with no plans this weekend? I have great news! It’s Generation Hope at @nhm-london.bsky.social and we’ve got loads of free events about the planetary crisis! Friday from 6.30pm…Tours! Storytelling! Art! Science! Amazing activists! www.nhm.ac.uk/events/a-nig... 1/3

Sadly we might not be able to make any more of these due to budget issues, so if you’re enjoying them please share widely!

The Perfect Specimen@perfect-specimen.bsky.social · 7mo ago

New episode today is MYTHICAL! m.youtube.com/watch?v=KYux... Featuring Jeff (who just moved to Cardiff Museum 😭). Available on Spotify and Apple too. 🐸 🦎 📕 🌴 No unicorns were harmed in the making of this podcast 🦄

New episode today is MYTHICAL! m.youtube.com/watch?v=KYux... Featuring Jeff (who just moved to Cardiff Museum 😭). Available on Spotify and Apple too. 🐸 🦎 📕 🌴 No unicorns were harmed in the making of this podcast 🦄

Are unicorns real and can trees walk? | The 'Perfect' Specimen Ep24

YouTube video by Natural History Museum

m.youtube.com

🚨New podcast episode🚨 Go check out the latest episode of our podcast! We've got the delightful Talay with us talking all things beetles, while I got my mitts on some rather incredible snails 🪲🧪🥰

The Perfect Specimen@perfect-specimen.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Time for TOUGH! With our delightful guest Talay! m.youtube.com/watch?v=t1iE... 🪲 🐌 🐞🪱

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in the Museum? Dive into the fish collection with us to see just some of the marine marvels we look after ⬇️