Our research collections include specimens from each of the world’s oceans and all seven continents. Take a peek at some of our oldest, rarest, and most amazing finds.

Explore our collections in an interactive virtual tour produced by the San Francisco Chronicle.

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Etendeka Round-Eared Sengi

The Etendeka round-eared sengi was recently discovered by the Academy's own Jack Dumbacher.

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Six passenger pigeon specimens from the Academy's collection
Passenger Pigeon

Hunting and habitat destruction quickly drove the passenger pigeon to extinction, but can we bring them back?

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Atlas Moth
Atlas Moth

Atlas moths are famous for the markings on their wings that bear an uncanny resemblance to cobra heads.

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Pacific Footballfish
Pacific Footballfish

Anglerfish live in the depths of the Pacific Ocean and use a phosphorescent bulb to attract prey.

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Deppea splendens
Deppea splendens

Thought to now be extinct in the wild, the few Deppea splendens left are the legacy of Academy botanists.

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Gulf Sun Star
Gulf Sun Star

Once one of the most common creatures in the Sea of Cortez, the gulf sun star is rarely seen today.

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Monarch the Grizzly Bear
Monarch the Grizzly Bear

Monarch was one of the last Ursus arctos californicus, a now-extinct grizzly bear subspecies.

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Lana’s Sawshark
Lana’s Sawshark

In 2014, Academy researcher Dave Ebert added this deepwater sawshark to his list of new species discoveries.

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Coco de Mer By Didier Descouens (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

© Didier Descouens

Coco de Mer

This flowering palm is a plant kingdom record-holder, boasting the world's heaviest seeds.

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Darwin's Hawkmoth
Darwin’s Hawkmoth

The giant hawkmoth was discovered in 1882. Its existence, however, was predicted 20 years earlier.